MMA and UFC Hall of Fame - Sherdog.comImagining an MMA Hall of Fame: Borderline Candidates, Part 2
Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada was once the top draw in Pride Fighting
Championships. | Photo: Garrett Poe/Sherdog.com
CASE FOR: Without Takada, there would have been no Pride Fighting Championships, and MMA history would have been completely different. Takada was Pride’s top drawing card -- his marketability stemmed from his popularity in the Union of Wrestling Forces International professional wrestling organization -- and carried the promotion until Kazushi Sakuraba turned himself into a star. Takada also holds a notable, ahem, “win” over Mark Coleman. CASE AGAINST: Takada as a fighter was basically a fraud. He built his reputation as a tough guy in pro wrestling but could not back it up in real competition. Questions surround the legitimacy of all his wins, and even in his losses, there are rumors that opponents were instructed to go easy. Takada finds himself in a unique predicament historically, as he would almost have a better case framed as a non-fighter. VERDICT: Should he go in? No.
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