Matt Hughes has been participating in MMA since 1998 and retirement is a question that many raise with his UFC 135 bout with Josh Koscheck only days away.
Hughes is 37 years old and turns 38 in less than a month. Overall Hughes is 45-8 and is most likely not going to see a title shot anytime soon. But it is his desire to compete that drives him to still go to the gym and train everyday.
“I consider myself a lucky man. I love going to the gym twice every day. I love traveling with my buddies,” Hughes said on Fighters.com.
Hughes has made 24 appearances inside the UFC dating all the way back to before the UFC was the UFC. Hughes debuted against Valeri Ignatov at UFC 22, winning via unanimous decision. Overall, Hughes is 18-6 in the UFC. Four of those losses come against Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn.
Hughes is only one fight behind Tito Ortiz for the most fights in the UFC. Ortiz has 25 with his most recent being a loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 133 in early August.
It all comes down to this last fight with Koscheck whether Hughes will retire or not. Regardless of the outcome, UFC 135 is Hughes’ last fight on his contract.
Hughes hasn’t fought since UFC 123 in November of 2010, where he lost to Penn by knockout in the first round.
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