Despite tipped to receive the ‘Pete Rose treatment’ and land his blacklisting from the promotion’s Hall of Fame, former PRIDE middleweight champion, Wanderlei Silva was announced as the latest inductee into the Fight Wing of the Hall during last night’s broadcast for UFC 298 in Anaheim, California.
Silva, a revered knockout artist and a dominant middleweight titleholder under the banner of the now-defunct, PRIDE Fighting Championships banner between 2001 and 2007, made the eventual return to the UFC back in December of that year, for a long-anticipated clash with Chuck Liddell in the pair’s awarded Fight of the Year.
And attending UFC 298 overnight in California, Silva, a native of Curitiba, received his induction into the Hall of Fame – ahead of this summer’s induction, where he will join former undisputed lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar as part of the International Fight Week ceremony.
Wanderlei Silva reacts to UFC HOF induction
Reacting to his impending induction, Curitiba native, Silva described his landing in the Fight Wing of the Hall as a “dream come true” for him.
“It’s a dream come true to be part of the sport,” Wanderlei Silva told UFC backstage overnight. “And to have this great support from this beautiful organization. Thanks so much Dana White, for all what you’re doing for us. I’m so glad to be apart of the best event in the world.”
"It's a dream come true." @WandFC reacts to the news that he'll be inducted into the #UFCHOF later this year!
pic.twitter.com/GE72ERPKrV
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2024
Boasting a 35-14-1(1) professional record, during his pomp in the Japanese promotion, Silva would turn in wins over Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hidehiko Yoshida, Rampage Jackson, to name a few Ricardo Arona.
During his tenure with the UFC, Silva had turned in victories over the likes of Keith Jardine, Cung Le, Brian Stann, and former undisputed middleweight champion, Michael Bisping.
Are you happy to see Wanderlei Silva land in the UFC’s Hall of Fame?