There are times in the world of mixed martial arts where two fighters engaged in a pivotal match that would otherwise warrant an immediate rematch.Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva and the recently concluded Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar trilogy are bot…
There are times in the world of mixed martial arts where two fighters engaged in a pivotal match that would otherwise warrant an immediate rematch.
Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva and the recently concluded Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar trilogy are both two examples of what a warranted do-over should look like.
Competitive and scintillating throughout, all parties involved have earned that respect of finding a conclusion to a match that has seen no clear winner the first go-around.
Then, there are other bouts where a decidedly decisive ending merits no speedy return for the two fighters to be joined together again inside the cage.
So which subsequent bouts have taken place that should have been left to the single-bout saga?
Filed under: UFC, NewsHOUSTON — The fighting future of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes may be decided by the end of October. The two-time welterweight champ and his wife are scheduled to meet with UFC president Dana White sometime near the end of the mo…
HOUSTON — The fighting future of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes may be decided by the end of October. The two-time welterweight champ and his wife are scheduled to meet with UFC president Dana White sometime near the end of the month to his discuss what is next for him after two straight losses.
Likely on the agenda: possible retirement.
Hughes will turn 38 years old on October 13, and he’s struggled in each of his last two fights, getting knocked out in both. Afterward, he said the UFC would put him “on the shelf,” while he debated his options.
For his part, White has his own opinion on what Hughes should do next.
“It doesn’t matter what he says or what he wants to do,” White said. “Hughes is going to be with us forever. Whether he talks me into doing it one more time, which I’d prefer he didn’t. I’d rather see him retire. I get to this point with these guys — him, Chuck Liddell — these guys who dominated all these years and are a big part of growing this sport. What’s next?
“Matt Hughes? Believe me when I tell you, he does not need money,” White continued. “He’s set. He doesn’t ever need to work again. He doesn’t ever need to fight again. He’s got plenty of money. You’re one of the greatest welterweights ever. When Georges St-Pierre is done, it’s arguable. We’ll see how he ends his career. But what’s the point? You’re going to go for another title run? You just lost. You lost by knockout. Let’s hang this thing up and do something else together.”
Hughes first fought for the UFC in 1999, and hasn’t fought anywhere else since November 2001. His nearly 10 years of consecutive service makes him the second-longest tenured fighter on the roster behind Tito Ortiz.
He is 46-9 in his decorated career, first capturing the title at UFC 34 in November 2001 with a knockout of Carlos Newton. He successfully defended the belt five straight times, which at that time, tied a record held by Ortiz. After losing the belt to BJ Penn in January 2004, he won it back just 10 months later, beating Georges St-Pierre. He eventually lost it to St-Pierre in November 2006. Since that time, Hughes has gone 4-4.
White said he didn’t know which way Hughes was leaning, but that he wouldn’t be surprised to be asked for one more bout. White noted that over the years, Hughes has been an aggressive negotiator and if Hughes asks to fight again, he is expecting to hear an impassioned argument for another chance in the octagon.
But even while acknowledging that Hughes looked good for most of the first round of his UFC 135 fight with Josh Koscheck until the fight’s final seconds, it’s clear that for now, White hopes that Hughes goes out with dignity.
“As much as you don’t want to deal with it, this is a young man’s game,” he said.
When Dana White first attempted to end Chuck Liddell’s MMA career in 2009, the move was met with mixed feelings by the MMA community. Though it was admirable to see a fight promoter put his friend’s health before profits, it seemed unfair that Liddell had no say in his own retirement. After all he gave to the sport, didn’t he deserve to go out on his own terms?
At the time, Liddell was riding back-to-back knockout losses against Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua. He had reached the end of the line as a top competitor, and didn’t need any more concussions in his life. And yet, he convinced White to give him one last dance against Tito Ortiz. Then, Ortiz pulled out of their fight, and Rich Franklin stepped in and knocked Chuck out again.
In a way, it was the saddest knockout of Chuck’s career because of how well he was doing up until he lost consciousness. He was clearly motivated and in great shape — but after 12 years of standing and banging, it only took a single off-balance hook to shut his brain off.
I’m sure Dana White regretted the way the situation turned out, and the role he played in allowing Liddell to suffer another head-trauma. And I hope he learned a lesson that he can now use in dealing with Matt Hughes.
When Dana White first attempted to end Chuck Liddell’s MMA career in 2009, the move was met with mixed feelings by the MMA community. Though it was admirable to see a fight promoter put his friend’s health before profits, it seemed unfair that Liddell had no say in his own retirement. After all he gave to the sport, didn’t he deserve to go out on his own terms?
At the time, Liddell was riding back-to-back knockout losses against Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua. He had reached the end of the line as a top competitor, and didn’t need any more concussions in his life. And yet, he convinced White to give him one last dance against Tito Ortiz. Then, Ortiz pulled out of their fight, and Rich Franklin stepped in and knocked Chuck out again.
In a way, it was the saddest knockout of Chuck’s career because of how well he was doing up until he lost consciousness. He was clearly motivated and in great shape — but after 12 years of standing and banging, it only took a single off-balance hook to shut his brain off.
I’m sure Dana White regretted the way the situation turned out, and the role he played in allowing Liddell to suffer another head-trauma. And I hope he learned a lesson that he can now use in dealing with Matt Hughes.
Hughes, of course, now finds himself in the same situation that Liddell was in following the Rua fight in 2009. His last two contests against BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck (at UFC 135 last weekend) ended in lights-out KO’s — yet he couldn’t bring himself to say the words “I retire” in the post-fight interview. Admittedly, it’s not the best moment to ask a fighter about his future when he’s just waking up from a loss. But now that a few days have passed, I hope Hughes realizes that campaigning for another fight does him no favors. It only gives him another opportunity to put his longterm health in danger by getting knocked out again. And as all followers of combat sports know, getting knocked out only becomes easier the more times it happens to you.
MMA is still such a young sport that we haven’t gotten to see generations of old veterans descend into dementia, like we have in boxing. (How young is MMA, exactly? Of the 39 fighters who have held belts in the UFC since the promotion began awarding official championships in 1997, 38 are still alive.) I think we’re suffering from the invincibility of youth — the naive idea that nothing bad will ever happen to us because nothing bad has happened to us so far.
And it’s bullshit. This sport will have its Muhammad Alis, you can believe that. Chuck Liddell’s speech cadence is noticeably different now than it was when he was a UFC rookie. It’s great that he’s finally stopped fighting, but I worry if the end came one knockout too late.
Ultimately, MMA promoters have to take some responsibility to tell fighters “no mas” when they start to become knockout magnets, because the fighters sure as hell aren’t going to do it themselves. Matt Hughes has reached that point where cage-fighting really isn’t in his best interest anymore, yet he can’t bring himself to retire because of the “competition sickness” that infects almost every athlete.
Bottom line, Dana White needs to do it for him, right now, and permanently. Going out on two losses is a bad end for a former champion, but becoming a cautionary tale is even worse.
In the co-main event of UFC 135, Matt Hughes was knocked out by Josh Koscheck at the end of round 1. While basically everyone and their mother expected Hughes to lose his 54th professional fight, some fans held out hope that the former welterweigh…
In the co-main event of UFC 135, Matt Hughes was knocked out by Josh Koscheck at the end of round 1.
While basically everyone and their mother expected Hughes to lose his 54th professional fight, some fans held out hope that the former welterweight king could at least be competitive.
Despite no such luck, Hughes said in the post-fight interview that he would ask the UFC “to put me up on a shelf,” but he is not retiring.
Hughes, already a UFC Hall of Famer, need to call it quits after being knocked out in his past two fights, and losing four of his past seven.
If Hughes decides otherwise, White may need to “Chuck Liddell” him into retirement, or convince him that the risk is not worth the reward after several devastating losses.
Here are a few other fighters who could benefit from the Chuck Liddell treatment.
Filed under: UFCWhat lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC’s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into…
What lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC‘s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into his best shape in years. The man is a former undisputed world champion, and he could barely lay a finger on Jones.
As Jones continues to progress, he learns how to better utilize his numerous gifts and establish his built-in advantages. Jackson loves to throw his hands, so Jones never let him, lengthening his already ridiculous reach with a steady diet of kicks. How do you punch someone you can’t reach? Answer: you can’t.
MMA math is an inexact science, but you can project how Jones will perform against Rashad Evans. While Evans has a more varied game than Jackson and boasts more speed, he’ll have to navigate the same problem with distance (Evans’ reach is 75 inches, just two inches more than Jackson’s).
At least Evans has had plenty of time to prepare. He’s known he was facing the possibility of fighting Jones since August, and he probably thought about the fight long before that. He also has some feeling for things that make Jones uncomfortable, stemming from their brief history of training together.
Still, it’s hard to shake the image of Jones completely outworking two all-time legends back to back. MMA analysis website FightMetric.com independently scores fights based on offensive striking and grappling. Against Rua, Jones won with an effectiveness score of 345-57. Against Jackson, it was 244-28. Even if you don’t know exactly know what those numbers represent, the scores make it clear he’s routing world-class fighters. Can Evans do any better? Well, we’ve never seen Jones fight a real grudge match, and that element can change a fight dynamic for better or worse. Whatever the answer, it’s going to be fun to find out.
Jon Jones
The best kind of fight booking is when one fight leads seamlessly into the next. That’s what we have here. We know Jones will next face Evans, we simply don’t know when. He’ll probably take a least a month or two off, and then the UFC can begin selling one of MMA’s most genuine rivalries. Prediction: Jones faces Evans in February.
Quinton Jackson
Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see Jackson enter a fight in great shape and give himself the best chance of winning possible. Hopefully the trend continues. There are still several interesting matchups for him, but Jackson has his eye on one or two fights in particular. Prediction: Jackson faces Forrest Griffin in the UFC’s Japan event, expected for February 2012.
Matt Hughes
The two-time welterweight champion turns 38 years old in just a few weeks, and coming off two straight knockout losses, his time is running short. Hughes said he would ask the UFC to put him “on the shelf” while he considers his future, but we already know that his wife doesn’t want him to fight any longer, and Saturday night’s result will only reinforce her opinion. As anyone who’s married knows, you might able to put your wife off for a while, but only for so long. This is probably the end for Mr. Hughes. Happy trails to the legend. Prediction: Hughes calls it quits and stays involved with the UFC in an ambassador type role.
Josh Koscheck
It was a fantastic night for Koscheck after taking the fight on short notice. Now, he faces a bit of an issue. He’s already faced division champion Georges St-Pierre twice, so as long as GSP holds the belt, Koscheck has no chance to get another title match. So his options are either to stay at 170 and continue winning while hoping that someone upsets St-Pierre, or moving up to 185, where he’ll be at a serious size disadvantage. Prediction: Koscheck loves making money, and the bigger, better matchups for him are still at 170. If Diego Sanchez heals in a timely fashion, he’s the pick for a rematch, but if not, how about we send him to the UK to fight Dan Hardy? That sounds fun.
Mark Hunt
With all the hoopla following the Jones-Rampage-Rashad triangle and Matt Hughes’ possible retirement, Mark Hunt’s story got sort of lost. But once upon a time, the UFC tried to pay Hunt to stay home and cut ties. It would have been the easiest payday of his career, but he chose to make his money the old fashioned way. Now a surprising 2-1 in the UFC after beating heavily favored Ben Rothwell, Hunt adds future paydays, all well earned. Prediction: In a battle of kickboxing specialists, Hunt faces Pat Barry in January.
Ben Rothwell
After more than a year on the sidelines, Rothwell has to be terribly disappointed at losing his return bout, but at least he fought through incredible exhaustion and refused to be finished. He’ll certainly get another crack in the octagon, but he needs to make this one count. Prediction: He faces the loser of next month’s Joey Beltran-Stipe Miocic fight early next year.
Travis Browne
Browne didn’t put on the showcase some expected against the durable Brit Rob Broughton, but in the fight game, you have to shrug off an ugly win every now and again. It should still be onward and upward for Browne, who has yet to face defeat in the cage. This time, let’s forget booking the heavyweights in elevation and put him on flat land. Prediction: Browne faces Brendan Schaub.
Nate Diaz
Diaz looks alternately spectacular (striking and jiu-jitsu) and ordinary (wrestling) depending on the opponent in front of him. Until he proves he can stop a takedown though, it’s going to be difficult to project how far he can go. The talent is there, but that one hole needs to be shut, and in the lightweight division, wrestlers are around every corner. Prediction: Diaz faces Jim Miller, a fight that would be off the charts on the intensity scale.
Takanori Gomi
Since coming over to the UFC, Gomi’s had only one flash of his old brilliance when he knocked out Tyson Griffin in April 2010. After losing three of four, the UFC has to be wondering what exactly they have on their hands. Gomi may be a historical great, but right now he’s not bringing the goods. I still think he’ll get one more chance at a winnable fight when the UFC brings the show to Japan. Prediction: Gomi faces Thiago Tavares.
Tim Boetsch
In his second fight since moving down to middleweight, The “Barbarian” again looked strong, giving Nick Ring his first loss. The middleweight division is among the weakest in the UFC, so Boetsch has a chance to make himself a player in short order. Next up should be another fighter riding a win streak. Prediction: Boetsch faces Rousimar Palhares.
The future of the former UFC welterweight champion and hall-of-fame fighter Matt Hughes was in question prior to his Round 1 knockout defeat at the hands of Josh Koscheck at the Pepsi Center this past Saturday.These questions as to whether or not Hughe…
The future of the former UFC welterweight champion and hall-of-fame fighter Matt Hughes was in question prior to his Round 1 knockout defeat at the hands of Josh Koscheck at the Pepsi Center this past Saturday.
These questions as to whether or not Hughes should retire were answered when the former champion succumbed to his second straight knockout loss, only the ninth defeat of his career.
At one point, Hughes was the greatest welterweight walking the planet, winning the coveted championship on two separate occasions.
The combination of age and the talent of the next generation have placed Hughes in a career crossroads.
Athletes in combat sports have a tendency of hanging up the gloves past their prime.
George Foreman attempted a comeback in boxing while in his 40s. And most recently, hall-of-fame fighter and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell insisted on fighting beyond his prime potentially tarnishing his reputation in the process.
With an overall MMA record of 46-9, Hughes has achieved career milestones while competing in the UFC.
Beginning his professional journey in 1998, Hughes’s inaugural matchup within the UFC was in 2000.
Winning his first welterweight championship in 2001 with a vicious slam of Carlos Newton while in a triangle choke, Hughes went on to defend his initial title on five separate occasions until 2004 where he lost via rear-naked choke to the young phenom, B.J. Penn.
Once again claiming the welterweight belt with an arm-bar victory over then champion Georges St-Pierre later that year, Hughes held onto the championship until 2006.
Never again claiming championship gold, Hughes owns the record for consecutive welterweight title defenses with seven.
A true competitor grounded in his wrestling pedigree with a tremendous work ethic and discipline both inside and outside of the Octagon, Hughes’s toughness and talent has awarded the hall-of-famer with 18 wins within the UFC, most of any fighter.
Hughes can be very proud of these tremendous accolades and his entire body of work as a mixed martial artist.
The former champion can hold his head high knowing that he was, at one time, the greatest welterweight competitor within all of mixed martial arts.
Wanting to be remembered for his success inside the Octagon, retirement at this time will ensure his legacy.
Follow the decision of other hall-of-fame athletes including Barry Sanders and Michael Jordan who retired when they were on top. The memories of these two athletes as champions will remain in our hearts and minds for a lifetime.
Matt Hughes, if you are reading this, I humbly and kindly ask you to hang up the 4-ounce gloves and be remembered as the hall-of-fame fighter that you are and not as a shell of your former self.
I welcome your comments.
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HOUSTON — The fighting future of 
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The future of the former UFC welterweight champion and hall-of-fame fighter