“He deserved it. When Lorenzo Fertitta and I came into this sport, we were big fans of Wanderlei Silva. He has done a lot for the sport and deserves to be in the UFC Hall of Fame,” the functionary said at a press conference that took place after UFC 298.
Silva himself said that this news was a real surprise for him.
"I had no idea. It was a huge surprise. I felt truly happy. You were close to making me cry,” the Brazilian fighter said in an interview.