Wanderlei Silva was previously banned from the UFC Hall of Fame.
Probably because “The Axe Murderer” used his social media channels to bury UFC back in late 2014, following a convoluted drug testing scandal that saw the Brazilian draw a lifetime ban from Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
I guess the “war” on those “sons of b*tches” is finally over.
“Wanderlei Silva is one of the true pioneers of the sport of MMA,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a press release. “Wanderlei was an absolute savage who left his mark by delivering some of the most memorable fights in combat sports history. He had legendary fights against Mirko Cro Crop, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Brian Stann, and his fights against Rich Franklin, as they were absolute wars! He was also one of the early superstars of PRIDE who helped grow the MMA fanbase on a global scale, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
Silva, 47, will be inducted alongside former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
It’s unusual for White to soften his stance after dropping the UFC ban hammer. Paul Daley was sent packing nearly a decade ago and White ignored future (and heartfelt) attempts to mend fences. In addition, a personal vendetta against Frank Shamrock has kept the UFC pioneer from any chance of joining the hallowed hall.
So what makes Silva (35-14-1, 1 NC) different from everyone else?
“He deserves to be in the hall of fame,” White said at the UFC 298 post-fight press conference (watch it here). “Everybody that was a hardcore fan back then was a big fan of PRIDE. A lot of big stars came out of there and Wanderlei [Silva] has done a lot for the sport in the early days and he deserves to be in there. I’ve been in so many beefs with so many people that I didn’t even remember that [he was banned] until you just told me. Good thing I forgot!”
“This means a lot because every fighter in the world wants to be in the hall of fame,” Silva told reporters at UFC 298. “This is a great sport and I’m so glad to be part of it right now. I didn’t know nothing [about the induction]. They were so close to making me cry. I never thought this was gonna happen. I’m so happy UFC gave me this honor.”
Silva hasn’t competed since falling to “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 206 back in late 2018.