Wanderlei Silva to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Former PRIDE FC champion Wanderlei Silva will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer as part of the 2024 class, the promotion announced Saturday night.

Silva is this year's first inductee under the pioneer wing.

At his peak in the early 2000s, "The Axe Murderer" was one of the scariest and most violent fighters in MMA history.

Silva captured the PRIDE FC middleweight title in 2001 and defended it four times. The 47-year-old Brazilian also won the PRIDE FC 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix.

He moved to the UFC in 2007 and found mixed success across 10 bouts. Silva also fought in the UFC three times early on in his career before his iconic run in PRIDE FC.

Silva defeated the likes of Dan Henderson, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Michael Bisping throughout his MMA career. Silva ended his career with two fights in Bellator between 2017 and 2018.