ANAHEIM, Calif. – Wanderlei Silva expressed his appreciation to Dana White for his inclusion in the UFC Hall of Fame.
The former champion of PRIDE FC and a veteran of 12 UFC fights, Silva (35-14-1) was unexpectedly announced as part of the pioneer wing of the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class during the broadcast of UFC 298 on Saturday.
This announcement came as a surprise, considering that White stated 10 years ago that Silva would never be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, comparing him to Pete Rose. However, the UFC CEO not only changed his opinion but also seemed to have forgotten his previous comments.
“He deserves recognition in the Hall of Fame,” White said. “Those who were hardcore fans back then were big fans of PRIDE. Many big stars emerged from there, and Wanderlei contributed greatly to the sport in its early days. He deserves to be honored. … I’ve had so many conflicts with so many people that I didn’t even remember that until you just mentioned it.”
Silva, unaware of the announcement, expressed no ill feelings towards White for his past remarks.
“I’m extremely grateful to Dana. I’m extremely grateful to the UFC,” Silva said backstage at UFC 298. “The organization gave me incredible opportunities, placing me in the biggest events against formidable opponents, and I’m thrilled to have this moment. I earned a substantial amount of money here in the UFC, and I currently enjoy a good life because of the opportunities they provided me. I’m extremely thankful. I know that Dana played a significant role in my induction into the Hall of Fame. Thank you so much, Dana White.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com