The names of UFC Hall of Famers are ones that historians of the sport would all notice; they all have similarities in terms of their career path.
The great eight -and soon to be exceptional nine once Tito Ortiz is added to that list pretty soon- all had exceptional careers. They exhibited a longevity in their career that not many can match.
Current stars, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre; and on their current trajectory, Jon Jones and Jose Aldo fit the Hall Of Fame description.
I will throw another hat in the ring.
I think Brock Lesnar is a Hall of Famer. His record doesn’t suggest Hall of Fame consideration as Lesnar finished with a meager 5-3 mma record.
Entertaining. That was Lesnar’s endearing quality.
He put faces in Pay Per Views. He drew interest in the US to a level that MMA had never seen before his arrival. Lesnar was the first fighter to push a million Pay Per View sales.
He brought so many new fans into the sport, myself included, who stayed with the sport and are avid supporters now. That can’t be replaced or duplicated.
Though he only defended his heavyweight belt twice, his impact is immeasurable. The UFC is on an entirely different plane.
ESPN now covers MMA. There is a weekly 30 minute show devoted to it. SportsCenter reports the victors of the main event. The UFC is now growing exponentially.
It all can’t be attributed to Lesnar but he was certainly the driving force.
He is the biggest stateside star who ever graced the UFC with his presence.
That’s enough to be enshrined in my opinion.
