Imagining an MMA Hall of Fame: Borderline Candidates, Part 2

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Oleg Taktarov
“The Russian Bear” White Dragon (1993); Ultimate Fighting Championship (1995); Pancrase (1996); World Vale Tudo Championship (1996); Martial Arts Reality Superfighting (1996); World Fighting Federation (1997); Pentagon Combat (1997); Pride Fighting Championships (1997); National Freesparring (1998); Total Kombat (2001); Bodog Fight (2007); YAMMA Pit Fighting (2008)
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CASE FOR: One of the earliest Russian sambo practitioners to have success in MMA, Taktarov won the UFC 6 tournament in a memorable war of attrition over David Abbott and was the runner-up in the first Ultimate Ultimate tournament. He scored submissions in 14 of his 17 wins and went on to have a successful film career. CASE AGAINST: Taktarov fought plenty of overmatched competition in the early days of MMA and suffered his fair share of setbacks in his prime against contemporaries like Dan Severn, Gary Goodridge and Renzo Gracie. Plus, he was not a star attraction who drove business. VERDICT: Should he go in? No.

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