Tag: Matt Hughes

Video: Matt Hughes Talks Fighter Pay, Says Jon Fitch Is “Boring”

When Matt Hughes first rose to the top of the UFC, he earned a pittance compared to the salaries of today’s top UFC superstars.
That’s why Hughes, now an executive-level employee with Zuffa and a Hall of Fame member, cannot believe his ears when he hea…

When Matt Hughes first rose to the top of the UFC, he earned a pittance compared to the salaries of today’s top UFC superstars.

That’s why Hughes, now an executive-level employee with Zuffa and a Hall of Fame member, cannot believe his ears when he hears stories of fighters complaining about their pay. 

Hughes sounded off on the subject during a recent exclusive interview with Bleacher Report during the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, Nev.

Check out the video above, and leave your own thoughts on fighter pay below.

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Matt Hughes on Jon Fitch: A Lot of People Found Him Extremely Boring

Fighter pay in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is always a hot topic. It always will be. 
People want to get paid more money. That doesn’t solely apply to fighters; we’d all like to make more. We all believe we’re underpaid, that we’re worth mo…

Fighter pay in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is always a hot topic. It always will be. 

People want to get paid more money. That doesn’t solely apply to fighters; we’d all like to make more. We all believe we’re underpaid, that we’re worth more and that if someone will just recognize our talents, we’ll finally get what we deserve. It doesn’t matter if it’s true. It’s just human nature to want more.

So I understand when people complain about not being paid enough. That’s just the way we are.

Let’s throw out the fact that they had a choice when they signed the contract to walk into the cage for the UFC and that nobody held a gun to their head and forced them to sign the contract. They had a choice: Accept what they were given and work their way to the top, or go somewhere else and try to find bigger wages.

Jon Jones chose the first option. For his first two fights in the UFC, Jones—then competing on preliminary cards—earned $7,000 to show and $7,000 to win. Nearly five years later, Jones received a $400,000 flat fee and a substantial undisclosed pay-per-view bonus for facing Chael Sonnen at UFC 159.

Jones—and I apologize for using something very close to the awful Drake lyric that is no doubt invading your precious head space every 10 minutes via the airwaves—started at the bottom, and now he’s here.

He’s the reigning light heavyweight champion, the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and one of the richest men on the UFC roster. He also started in the same place that nearly everyone else does: on the preliminary card, getting paid peanuts in exchange for the chance to prove that he had something great inside him.

UFC Vice President of Athletic Development and Government Relations and former welterweight champion Matt Hughes told Bleacher Report that he cannot comprehend why fighters in the modern UFC would complain about their salaries.

“You go back to when I first started. These guys are making as much now as I did when I won the belt,” Hughes said. “How can these guys complain about their pay? I don’t understand it. I really don’t.

“Most of the guys that complain are guys who have been kicked out of the UFC. Like (Jon) Fitch. I like Fitch. I’m not talking bad about him, but I’m going to tell the truth. If people didn’t buy a ticket or buy a pay-per-view to watch him fight, then what good is he? A lot of people found him extremely boring. And so he got let go, and he’s not happy about it. But the facts are the facts.”

Tim Kennedy, a middleweight currently on the UFC roster, made waves with his comments about the UFC’s pay structure on the GrappleTalk Podcast prior to his UFC 162 win over Roger Gracie.

“It’s pathetic that so many fighters [have to have other jobs]…I’m one of the 3% of guys in the whole entire sport and it would be slim pickings to survive off what I make in fighting.

“Anybody who accepts that as a reality of the sport is sad and pathetic. I hope this isn’t the reality of the sport, if it is I should probably go do something else, like empty trash cans. I’d make more money than I do now.”

Days later, Kennedy issued an apology for the comments. But he also said that he stood by what he said.

I asked Hughes if he’s required, in his new VP role with Zuffa, to go out and police guys like Kennedy who make unfavorable comments about the UFC’s business structure and pay scale. Is there anything he’s required to do in order to keep some of the UFC’s more vocal complainers on a short leash?

“No. Nothing at all. The good thing about the UFC is that these guys can have their own opinion. Nobody’s going to chase them down,” Hughes said. “Yes, they need to watch what they say in a hurtful or mean, malicious kind of way. But these guys have their own opinion, and the UFC knows that. And that’s what they want. “

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4 Reasons the UFC Needs Criteria for Induction to the UFC Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame: The mere words elicit images of grandstanding champions dominating their respective sports.Through any and all means, each athlete worthy of such honorable mention must have broken records in a manner iconic of his or her sport. Definitiv…

Hall of Fame: The mere words elicit images of grandstanding champions dominating their respective sports.

Through any and all means, each athlete worthy of such honorable mention must have broken records in a manner iconic of his or her sport. Definitive and declarative, entry into this upper echelon ought to be beyond argument.

Or so it should be.

Yet the UFC Hall of Fame is often discussed for all the wrong reasons. Debates and disagreements are sparked when certain UFC veterans are mentioned—in some cases the concern is over those who have not received their just recognition, whereas in others, the commotion revolves around names that have received far too much of it.

What specific accomplishments does a fighter need to gain entry? Championships in multiple weight classes? An undisclosed number of consecutive victories? Philanthropic efforts to promote the sport both inside the cage and out of it?

It’s unlikely that we’ll pacify all involved by continuing to induct fighters without an open standard. On the contrary, the UFC brass need to outline a firm set of criteria for induction into the Hall of Fame. 

There are plenty of reasons that could make the list, but let’s examine the most crucial ones.

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Matt Serra Reveals Who He Would Face If He Had 1 Last Fight in the UFC

It’s been nearly three years since Matt Serra last fought in the UFC, and everyone was curious if the Renzo Gracie black belt was retired or just taking some serious time off from the sport. Serra’s career zig-zagged over 11 years with most of his figh…

It’s been nearly three years since Matt Serra last fought in the UFC, and everyone was curious if the Renzo Gracie black belt was retired or just taking some serious time off from the sport.

Serra’s career zig-zagged over 11 years with most of his fights taking place in the Octagon, but following his last bout against Chris Lytle in 2010, the writing was on the wall, and truth be told, he was okay if his career was at an end.

Like a lot of athletes, however, using the word “retirement” is almost taboo.

“It was like a couple of years ago after my fight with Chris Lytle, I just never felt the need to make it official,” Serra told MMA‘s Great Debate Radio recently.  “I’ve had a great career I feel. If you talk to somebody else, they can say whatever they want about you, but I’m pretty secure with what I’ve done and my fights.  Win or lose, it’s all experience, and it shapes the person you are and the instructor you are.”

Most recently, it was a health scare that led to Serra’s realization that his fighting career was most likely at its end.  The Long Islander dealt with some serious blood clots that had formed after a vein was pinched between his collarbone and his ribs that resulted in restricted blood flow.

It sent Serra to the emergency room where he learned just how dangerous blood clots can be if they are not dealt with right away.

I went to the E.R. because your body can just tell you that something isn’t right, besides looking like a mutant. So I went to the doctor, and they did an ultrasound and CAT scan, and they found the blood clots.  It was really odd because I knew nothing about blood clots.  It was kind of scary when I started finding out about it.  Long story short, I was in the hospital for about four days.  They did a procedure where they dissolved the (blood clots) that were in my arm and my bicep, they dissolved those.  I’ve got to be on blood thinners for at least three months to get the one in my lung to dissolve that.

With two daughters at home and a third on the way, Serra knew that there were more important things to life than hanging on to a fight career that may not come back to life regardless of his current health situation.

So with that, Serra decided to close that door in his life but has no regrets in what he accomplished over the last decade.

“It’s probably the last time you saw me in there,” Serra revealed.  “I’ll probably be in there but in the corner somewhere.  I have no regrets. What’s that scene at the end of American Pie where they’re like ‘to the next step’?   Onto to the next adventure.”

The next adventure for Serra is actually the same path he’s been on during his entire fighting career, and that’s being an instructor to the students at his multiple academies all over New York.  Before, during and after he was a UFC fighter, Serra was a dedicated teacher, and that passion never changed. 

He’s happy to be able to still give back to the next crop of UFC champions or the guy who walks in off the street after work hoping to learn some jiu-jitsu.

While his fighting career appears to be at a close, it is hard to ignore the “what if’s” about one last dream match if he ever had the chance to do it.  Serra’s involves the UFC landing in his home state of New York with thousands of fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden. 

In that fantasy, Serra only sees one possible opponent who would be standing across the Octagon from him.

“You know who I’d actually want to fight,” Serra said before mentioning the name of his greatest rival in the UFC. “It’s funny, too.  Good old Matt Hughes.  He brought up in an interview, too.  Oh he’d love to jump out of retirement and do one more and he mentioned the guys who beat him and then he mentioned me.  It’s funny with Hughes, I think the guy wanted to go out on a win, and I think the guy actually thinks he could beat me or beat me again. Listen, we had a fun fight the first time, and you don’t want to call out guys that are retired.  That’s awful.  That seems like a bully, he was the bully, I wasn’t the bully.”

Serra and Hughes had one of the biggest rivalries over the years in the UFC and even coached opposite one another during a season of The Ultimate Fighter.  They eventually met in the cage with Hughes coming out on top via decision in a Fight of the Night performance from both competitors.

Now both fighters are retired from the sport, although Serra still couldn’t help himself to get one last jab in at Hughes before it’s all said and done while taking a swipe at the former champion’s new job at the UFC acting as an advisor to the current crop of fighters on the roster.

“I’m going to talk to the UFC to make up a job for me,” Serra said with a laugh.  “That’s some bulls—t right there.”

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Lead image courtesy of sherdog.com.

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The Career-Defining Moment of Each Welterweight Champion in UFC History

Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes have positioned themselves as the most dominant welterweights to ever compete inside the Octagon. They are currently tied for the most title fights in UFC history with 12. 
However, interspersed between and around…

Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes have positioned themselves as the most dominant welterweights to ever compete inside the Octagon. They are currently tied for the most title fights in UFC history with 12. 

However, interspersed between and around each of their title reigns, there were four other welterweights who had the honor of feeling the heft of UFC gold around their waists.

Some of these fighters have had more of an impact on the welterweight division than others, but they have all served to add something to the 170-pound landscape.

This is a list of moments that have defined each of these welterweight champs. These are the moments that will remain indelibly seared in the minds of all MMA fans.

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Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes Flashback: Full Fight Video from UFC 65

If you’re relatively new to MMA fandom, you’ve lived in a world where the UFC has had only one welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre has reigned as the UFC’s undisputed welterweight kingpin since 2008, when he defeated M…

If you’re relatively new to MMA fandom, you’ve lived in a world where the UFC has had only one welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre has reigned as the UFC’s undisputed welterweight kingpin since 2008, when he defeated Matt Serra. 

The fact is that while St-Pierre’s reign may be quite lengthy, it’s not his first.  The man who is now recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in the sport had a brief stay atop the welterweight division before his current lengthy run.

St-Pierre came to the UFC in early 2004 with an unbeaten record of 5-0.  Two fights later, after earning wins over Karo Parisyan and Jay Hieron, St-Pierre was given the chance to fight Matt Hughes for the then-vacant UFC welterweight title.

Hughes exuded cool confidence during the introductions of UFC 50, slowly walking around the cage with a look of indifference etched across his visage. When the two stepped to the center of the Octagon for their final instructions from referee John McCarthy, Hughes started straight ahead, while St-Pierre looked anywhere but into the eyes of Hughes.

The fight was essentially over before it had begun. At 4:59 of Round 1, Hughes made things official with a submission win.

St-Pierre would regroup after the first defeat of his career and put together a five-fight winning streak. That streak included wins over Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk and B.J. Penn.  As a result of his successful run, St-Pierre found himself back in line to face Hughes for another shot at UFC gold.

St-Pierre had no qualms looking into the eyes of his opponent during the UFC 65 staredown. Shortly after, the MMA world had a new welterweight champion, as St-Pierre used a head kick and ground-and-pound to end the fight early in Round 2.

St-Pierre would lose the title to Matt Serra in his next bout. That loss, at UFC 69, remains one of the biggest upsets in the sport. St-Pierre would have his revenge on Serra at UFC 83 and hasn’t looked back since, racking up eight consecutive defenses of the title.

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