Former UFC welterweight champion, and UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes (45-7) doesn’t want to worry about the pressure of a fight and simple wants to have a “good time” when he faces an opponent. But with his upcoming grudge match with BJ Penn this weekend at UFC 123, Hughes feels that a loss would be “like losing three fights” to Penn.
“I’m going out there and having a good time,” Hughes said. “I just go out and have fun. I try to cut all the pressure away. I’m not going out there trying not to lose. I’m trying to win and having a good time…The way I feel is that if I lose this fight with BJ, it’s like losing three fights. And if I win this fight, it’s like wining three fights. It’s the final of the trilogy. There’s a lot on the line. Three fights are on the line for this 15 minutes BJ and I are going to do battle.”
Hughes and Penn have met two previous times with both men earning a victory over the other.
Penn would take their first meeting, submitting Hughes with a rear-naked-choke back in 2004 losing the UFC welterweight title in the process. Both would meet again in 2006 at UFC 63 with Hughes defending the UFC title by earning a second round TKO victory. Now both men will meet this Saturday, Nov. 20th, at UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida at The Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Hughes is currently riding a three fight win streak earning a technical submission win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117, a TKO win versus Renzo Gracie at UFC 112, and a unanimous decision win over Matt Serra in their rematch at UFC 98. A fourth win for Hughes could put him back in title contention for the former welterweight champion.
HT: MMAFighting.com for the quote from this past weeks UFC 123 conference call.