One of the classic symptoms of an aged, or aging, fighter is seeing openings and being unable to take advantage of them.
It’s no different than a running back who once could burst through a
hole for a 15-yard gain when he ran a 4.4 40, but who now runs a 4.65
and can’t hit it quick enough to get more than three yards before the
pile collapses upon him.
And what Matt Hughes was describing as a problem in his loss to Georges
St. Pierre in December sounded suspiciously like a man losing the
battle with time. But the two-time former UFC welterweight champion, who saved the UFC
yet again when he agreed on short notice to fight Thiago Alves in the
main event of UFC 85 in London on June 7, insists he’s far from through.