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Wanderlei Silva will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as the second member of the 2024 class.
UFC @ufc
Welcome to the #UFCHOF, @WandFC 👏
He’s the 2nd member of the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2024! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GOBf6ViHXS
Silva finished his professional MMA career with a record of 35-14-1 throughout the 22 years since his debut in Nov. 1996. The induction ceremony is expected to take place in the summer.
Silva first became Pride FC middleweight champion in 2001 and didn’t relinquish his title until 2007. He spent time in Japan before coming to the United States in the later portion of his career.
His induction was announced during the UFC 298 main card in Anaheim, as the 47-year-old was surprised by the news. The man nicknamed “The Axe Murderer” is tied for second in career finishes for UFC parent company Zuffa with Donald Cerrone and Charles Oliveira, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
Silva was a beloved striker in his heyday, as his aggressive and violent style earned him his iconic nickname.
“Wanderlei Silva is one of the true pioneers of the sport of MMA,” UFC president Dana White said, per ufc.com. “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,” White added.
In his final UFC bout, Silva knocked out former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann to earn a victory in March 2013. Now, he’ll be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.
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