Inductees

Dan started wrestling at the young age of 5, and he continued wrestling until he began Mixed Martial Arts when he joined RAW and then Ultimate Fighting. In high school, Dan placed 2nd in the California State Championships in 1987, and his Victor Valley team won the State Championships. He was 5th in 1988. In 1987, he won a Community College State Championship, and his Victorville College team took the team title. From 1988-1990, Dan attended CSU-Fullerton.

He won the USA Junior Freestyle Nationals in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman in 1988 with only one bad mark scored against him in 23 matches while he scored 120. In 1990 he was 1st in the USA FILA Junior World Greco-Roman Championships. In 1991, he was wrestling in Russia. He returned to Arizona State University in 1992-93, graduating with a B.S. degree. Dan won the 1991, 1992 and 1993 World University Greco-Roman Championships.

In 1992 and 1996, Dan made the U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman, and he placed 10th. He was 1st again in 1993 and 1994 in the USA Senior Greco-Roman Championships. In 1994 and in 1997, he made the U.S. FILA World Team in Greco-Roman, placing 7th. Dan began training in Mixed Martial Arts in 1997 when he joined Real American Wrestling (RAW). In his first year of MMA competition, he won the Brazilian Open.

A year later, he joined Ultimate Fighting and won the UFC 17 tournament, defeating Allan Goes and Carlos Newton. In 1999, Dan defeated five opponents in two events to earn the RINGS King of Kings title. He currently holds the welterweight and middleweight Pride Fighting Championships. Dan credits wrestling and Team Quest for his success. After leaving UFC, he signed a four-fight deal with Strikeforce. When not training, Dan appreciates his wife Alison and their children: Sierra, 10, Reese, 8, and Daniela, 2.