Nominations: The Official ESB MMA Hall of Fame

[cross_trainer]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]



What It Is

Inspired by the International Boxing Hall of Fame, I hereby declare the inaugural ballot for the East Side Boxing MMA Hall of Fame open. The objective is to honor all of the fighters and theorists, past and present, who contributed to improving Mixed Martial Arts into the sport it is today.


Categories

Modern -- The all-time great fighters of the sport, from 1993 onwards
Old Timers -- Great fighters from before the birth of the UFC
Pioneers -- The innovators and style inventors, from Bruce Lee to Barton-Wright, who made it all possible
Other -- Anyone else who contributed greatly to the sport, from the founders of Abu Dhabi to Big John McCarthy to Dana White (cue mild gag reflex)



How We'll Do It

Fighters can be nominated by anybody in this thread. I will then create a ballot for each category, and the ten highest-scoring people in each category will be admitted (or fewer, if we can't think of 10 in each category).

In each subsequent nomination thread (if this one comes off as a success), we'll probably nominate fewer.





Gentlemen, cast your votes!

[cross_trainer]

My nominations:


Modern

Royce Gracie (First champion, brought grappling to the masses)
Fedor Emelianenko (Do I really need to specify?)
Mark Coleman (Popularized the ground-and-pound, first GP winner)
Kazushi Sakuraba (Destroyed the Gracie grip on MMA, beat most opponents in his weight class)
Wanderlei Silva (Destructive buzz-saw who dominated his division for years)
Randy Couture (Multi-time champion in several weight classes, even when ancient)
Dan Henderson (One of the first multi-weight champions, P4P fighter)
Matt Hughes (Very dominant in his weight division for a very long time)
Pat Miletich (Successful and significant as both a trainer and fighter)


Old Timer

Yukio Tani (Brought Jiujitsu over to the West successfully)
Helio Gracie (Founder of the modern form of Gracie Jiujitsu)
Carlson Gracie (Fairly dominant champion in early Vale Tudo matches)
Frank Gotch (First true "world" champion professional wrestler; probably real)
Jem Mace (Last great English bareknuckler, fought a boxer/wrestler in Sam Hurst)
Tom Cribb (One of the greatest bareknuckle champions)
John L. Sullivan (Fought under Queensberry, Prize Ring, and Boxer vs. Wrestler rules)
Gene LeBell (Defeated a boxer in a very early MMA bout)
Jack Broughton (Reigned for 10 years, created the first boxing rules)
James Figg (First boxing champion, brought boxing out of the realm of brawling)


Pioneer

Bruce Lee (Jeet Kune Do and cross-training)
Barton-Wright (for his creation of a mixed martial art in Edwardian England)


Other
John Graham Chambers (Marquess of Queensberry)
Antonio Inoki (Popularized "mixed" matches in Japan, albeit fake ones)
Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nayan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (founder ADCC)
The Fertittas (considered as one unit)

[cross_trainer]

We can only vote for one in each?

Modern: Fedor

Old Timers: Royce Gracie

Pioneer: Royce Gracie

Other: Big John

You may vote for as many as you like. We will then begin to eliminate them until there are only 10 in each category.

[boxingcar]

as far as old timers are concerned...I'd go as far as to say , "Kimura" , instead of "Royce".

[mann187]

Modern: Penn
Old Timer: Helio Gracie
Pioneer: Dont know probly Royce
Other: Big John

[mann187]

What about Tito, which catagory? he was the first real mainstream fighter

[codeman99998]

Modern: Fedor, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture
Old Timer: Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie
Pioneer: same as above.
Other: JOE FUCKING ROGAN

[Doppleganger]

Modern: Royce Gracie, Fedor, BJ Penn, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture

Old Timers: Rickson Gracie, Gene Lebell, Dan Inosanto, Steven Seagall (just kidding!)

Pioneer: Bruce Lee, Helio Gracie, Kano Jigoro, James Figg, John L Sullivan

Other: Gracie Jiujitsu, Marquess of Queensberry Rules (John Graham Chambers)

[Club Fighter]

Pioneer (Least Refined): Tank Abbot

Other: Herb Dean

Modern: Lindland

Pioneer: Oleg Taktarov

[Beebs]

Old Timers

Chris Dolman [Only registered and activated users can see links] (the thread starter is a d-bag and far overstates his case, but the info is compelling to say the least)

Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons
First star of Chute Boxe, trained the Rua brothers

James Jefferies

Jack Dempsey

Pioneers

Akira Maeda (founder of RINGS)

Satoru Sayama (founder of Shooto)

[cross_trainer]

bump

[Dostoevsky]

My nominations:


Modern

Royce Gracie (First champion, brought grappling to the masses)
Fedor Emelianenko (Do I really need to specify?)
Mark Coleman (Popularized the ground-and-pound, first GP winner)
Kazushi Sakuraba (Destroyed the Gracie grip on MMA, beat most opponents in his weight class)
Wanderlei Silva (Destructive buzz-saw who dominated his division for years)
Randy Couture (Multi-time champion in several weight classes, even when ancient)
Dan Henderson (One of the first multi-weight champions, P4P fighter)
Matt Hughes (Very dominant in his weight division for a very long time)
Pat Miletich (Successful and significant as both a trainer and fighter)


Old Timer

Yukio Tani (Brought Jiujitsu over to the West successfully)
Helio Gracie (Founder of the modern form of Gracie Jiujitsu)
Carlson Gracie (Fairly dominant champion in early Vale Tudo matches)
Frank Gotch (First true "world" champion professional wrestler; probably real)
Jem Mace (Last great English bareknuckler, fought a boxer/wrestler in Sam Hurst)
Tom Cribb (One of the greatest bareknuckle champions)
John L. Sullivan (Fought under Queensberry, Prize Ring, and Boxer vs. Wrestler rules)
Gene LeBell (Defeated a boxer in a very early MMA bout)
Jack Broughton (Reigned for 10 years, created the first boxing rules)
James Figg (First boxing champion, brought boxing out of the realm of brawling)


Pioneer

Bruce Lee (Jeet Kune Do and cross-training)
Barton-Wright (for his creation of a mixed martial art in Edwardian England)


Other
John Graham Chambers (Marquess of Queensberry)
Antonio Inoki (Popularized "mixed" matches in Japan, albeit fake ones)
Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nayan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (founder ADCC)
The Fertittas (considered as one unit)

No Rickson?

[cross_trainer]

No Rickson?

Feel free to add him to your nominations ballot. :good

[sugarngold]

El bumpo.

[rekcutnevets]

I love the idea, but disagree with the categories. MMA has a very different rule set today. I believe it should be in a different category than the tournament style UFCs with fewer restrictions.

[jimmie]

Modern

Royce Gracie - winner of UFC (1,2,4) tournaments, revolutionized the sport by forcing fellow competitors to cross train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Ken Shamrock - 1st UFC Superfight Champion, King of Pancrase, his run in the WWE and feud with Tito Ortiz helped the sport reach a mainstream pouplarity it had not yet reached.

Tito Ortiz - The 1st man to defend his UFC Championship a record 5 consecutive times, was a big factor in digging Mixed Martial Arts out of its darker days into what it is today.

Randy Couture - 1st man to win UFC titles in 2 different weight classes and do it multiple times, has won Championships past the age of 40.

Chuck Liddell - Arguablly the most beloved MMA fighter in America, dominant UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and considered by many to be the ATG at that weight.

Wanderlei Silva - Longest Champion in terms of years in MMA history as Pride Middleweight Champion from November 2001 to February 2007.

Kazushi Sakuraba - Took apart the legendary Gracie family by defeating 4 of its members one including Royce in a match last lasted over 90 minutes.

Dan Henderson - Winner of UFC 17, Rings King of Kings, 2005 Pride Welterweight Grand Prix, and the Brazil Open tournaments. Is the only man to hold 2 belts in 2 different weight classes at one time (Pride's Welterweight and Middleweight titles)

Fedor Emelianenko - The consesus pick as the greatest MMA fighter currently and of all time, has defeated every man he has ever fought, unbeaten Pride Heavyweight Champion lasting from 2003 to Prides demise in 07.

Frank Shamrock - King of Pancrase Champion, 1st UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and WEC Middleweight Champion. Main evented with Cesar Gracie in the 1st MMA show in the state of California winning by 1st round KO.

Old Timer

Helio Gracie - Co-Founder of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu art, competed in numerous bare knuckle fights through the 1930s to 1950s, a 10th degree Red Belt in BJJ.

Carlos Gracie - Co-founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, 10th degree Red Belt.

Masahiko Kimura - Widely considered the greatest Judoka of all time, defeated Helio Gracie in 1955 with a move commonly referred to as "Kimura"

Carlson Gracie - Jiu-Jitsu Champion for nearly 30 years, trained many well known current MMA fighters like Vitor Belfort and Mario Sperry.

Mitsuyo Maeda - Has been called " the toughest man to ever live" or the "father of Jiu-Jitsu"

Pioneer

Rorion Gracie - 9th degree Red Belt in BJJ, a founder of the UFC.

Other

Charles Lewis - Co founder of the clothing line Tapout which has been key in the success of MMA, Tapout shirts are seen all of the world now.

John McCarthy - Senior UFC referee for close to 15 years and considered by many to be the greatest.

Lenne Hardt - Ring announcer for Pride for many years, her introductions sometimes where even more entertaining then the fights.