Matt Hughes is apparently in discussions for a return fight, possibly in Bellator.
The last time we saw UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in the Octagon, he was knocked out by Josh Koscheck in September 2011. Since then he seemed to be happily enjoying retirement, working with the UFC in an executive role. But in December, he was released from his position by the new UFC owners due to cost-cutting measures.
And it appears that the 43-year-old is considering a comeback fight now.
In a taped episode of “Undeniable with Joe Buck” on the AT&T Audience Network that will air later this year, Hughes spoke frankly about a return to the sport:
“If I could find an opponent that I think I could beat, I would go again.” … “I might even be talking to an organization about that.”
“I’m not saying I am (for sure). The guy I’m talking about fighting may have been in this chair.”
According to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, that organization is Bellator, and the guy in that chair before is Royce Gracie. But the article cautions that “no offer has been made and those talks were classified as preliminary.”
Hughes (45-9) is a former UFC welterweight champion and one of the best fighters in the history of the promotion. He has fought Gracie before – at UFC 60 in 2006, where he defeated him by TKO. Hughes was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010.