Many thought the end was coming for Matt Hughes. After losing to Thiago Alves at UFC 85, Hughes — once a dominant welterweight champ — suddenly found himself the loser of three out of four matches. Perhaps more alarmingly, he had been finished in all three defeats.
After accomplishing so much in his storied career, it seemed like Hughes had nothing left to fight for, and some suggested retirement was his best option.
Fast forward to today, and it’s obvious the naysayers were a little premature in writing his career obituary. Heading towards Saturday’s UFC 123, Hughes is on the verge of winning four straight fights and possibly even working his way back into contender status. So how did he do it? Simple, the power of positive thinking.