Matt Hughes is arguably one of the biggest starts to ever grace the UFC’s cage, and the explosion of MMA in the USA has a lot to do with what Hughes did throughout his career.
After being inducted to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010, the two-time welterweight champion is second all time with 25 fights, and first in UFC history with 18 wins.
While he was one of the most dominant fighters the sport has ever seen, there hasn’t been much left in the tank over the last few years, and the popular consensus for the 37-year-old is that he will hang it up after his latest loss at UFC 135.
UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com about the future of Hughes in the octagon of the UFC:
I think he’s going to retire. I just don’t think Hughes wants to say the word ‘retire.’ There was a lot of talk that this was the last fight on his contract. I don’t know if that’s true or not because he’s a guy I’ve never worried about last fights or whatever. He’s going to fly out to Vegas in the next month or so and sit down and talk, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to hang it up – without saying ‘retire’. I’m almost 100 percent positive he’s going to retire. I don’t think he’s going to do anything else.
There hasn’t been a big star in the UFC that hasn’t faced off with Hughes as a measuring stick, and most didn’t pass the test.
One of the few men that actually beat Hughes in the prime of his career was Georges St. Pierre, but Hughes also boasts the fact that he was one of the only fighters to hand GSP a loss earlier in their careers.
While all of the UFC publicity is good for Hughes ego, he has found God and loves his wife, and it looks like the right time to pack up his gear and walk away from the bright lights of MMA fighting.
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