The fourth game in EA’s UFC video game series is due to be released on the 14th of August 2020. Instead of the yearly release schedule like Electronic Arts’ other sports games titles such as FIFA, NHL, and NFL, the developers took two years to build a better game.
Naturally, one of the most important features in a game that is centered around the sport of mixed martial arts is a good roster of fighters new and old to choose from. With an absolutely huge list of fighters to choose from, EA needs to make sure that there is a good selection of legendary fighters available and/or patched in at a later date like this entry’s predecessors. Let’s take a look at 10 legendary fighters that need to be added to UFC 4.
10 Tito Ortiz
Former Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz was considered to be one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet. He was one of the sport’s biggest stars and was great at promoting fights and rivalries long before Conor McGregor’s controversial antics made the headlines.
Despite Ortiz and UFC president Dana White’s dislike for each other, the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is an inductee in the UFC Hall of Fame. He's also one of the most recognizable faces in the UFC and has paved the way for controversial promos and pre-fight hype.
9 Bas Rutten
Bas Rutten easily ranks as one of the greatest fighters of all time. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase Champion, and a UFC Hall of Famer. In addition to being a fighting legend, he’s one of the most well known mainstream fighters in MMA.
Rutten is a former color commentator, pro wrestler, and actor starring alongside Kevin James in the comedy Here Comes the Boom. Fans of Grand Theft Auto IV will also remember him for his role in the hilarious in-game TV show called “The Men’s Room."
8 Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell is another major star of the UFC that, alongside Tito Ortiz, played a big hand in bringing the combat sport to the mainstream. He’s a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Pride Grand Prix Tournament competitor, and UFC Hall of Famer.
In his prime, Liddell was one of the most dominant and entertaining fighters on the planet. He’s famous for knockout power and legendary wars against Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Jeremy Horn.
7 Rampage Jackson
Even though Quinton “Rampage” Jackson didn’t arrive in the UFC until much later, he was already one of the most popular fighters in the world due to his charisma and dominance in Pride Fighting Championships.
He earned an upset victory over Chuck Liddell in a cross-promotional tournament and defeated him again in the UFC to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight title with a 90 second knockout in the first round. Rampage had a good run and enjoyed mainstream success starring in several TV shows and movies, including The A-Team remake as B.A. Baracus.
6 Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock is the first-ever UFC Superfight Champion, a UFC Hall Of Fame inductee, the first-ever champion of Pancrase, and was one of the UFC’s biggest stars in its early days.
Shamrock is also the first MMA star to successfully transition into professional wrestling with a successful stint in the WWE during the “Attitude Era,” performing with some of its greatest stars like The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and others.
5 Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes is a former two-time Welterweight UFC champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee. He was at one time the most dominant welterweight in the division and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
He was a powerful wrestler and had dominant wins over members of the legendary Gracie family, as well as highly regarded wars against Carlos Newton, George St. Pierre, Matt Serra, and BJ Penn.
4 Royce Gracie
Brazilian born Royce Gracie is an MMA legend, UFC Hall of Fame inductee, and the tournament winner of UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4. He is a member of one of the most influential families in mixed martial arts and popularized the revolutionary Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighting system.
He’s had legendary fights with fellow UFC pioneer Ken Shamrock and competed in other organizations like Pride Fighting Championships, and Bellator. Gracie is a true pioneer for the sport and should absolutely have a place on the roster in UFC 4.
3 Mirko Cro Cop
Legendary heavyweight kickboxer Mirko Cro Cop is a former Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, K1 World Grand Prix, and Rizin Openweight Champion. While he didn’t achieve the same level of success in the UFC he is still considered by fans of MMA as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
He was well known for his signature high kicks and instant knockout power, famously coining the phrase “right leg hospital, left leg cemetery.” Cro Cop was added to EA's UFC 3 as a legend, interestingly.
2 Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Emelianenko may be the most famous MMA fighter to not fight in the UFC. The former Pride Heavyweight Champion held the title for four years in his prime and was considered to be the most dominant heavyweight on the planet.
There were talks of bringing Fedor into the UFC to fight the current UFC Heavyweight Champion at that time, Brock Lesnar, for a super fight. Unfortunately, the fight never happened. Fedor fought in Strikeforce and Bellator instead, and one fight too many has hampered his record a bit. That doesn’t change the fact that one of the greatest fighters of all time should be included on the roster.
1 Randy Couture
Randy Couture is undoubtedly one of the greatest mixed martial artists to have ever stepped into the Octagon and the fact that he hasn’t appeared in a UFC game for years should be a crime. He’s a UFC Hall of Fame inductee, a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, and a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Couture won his Heavyweight belt at the age of 43, making him the oldest fighter in the company to win a championship. In addition to his success in the sport, he starred in several TV shows like Hawaii Five-0 and all three of The Expendables movies alongside action legends like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gaming fans may also recognize him for his appearance in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as Commander Warren Fuller.