Matt Hughes: two-time UFC welterweight champion and Hall of Famer | Ultimate Fighter Reunion

Why fans still care

MATT HUGHES was the welterweight champion of the early UFC. He was a farm-strong wrestler who picked people up, slammed them and held them down. He won the title twice, made seven successful defences and fought the best of two generations, from Carlos Newton to Georges St-Pierre, Who’s Who number 21 and B.J. Penn, Who’s Who number 17.

Early life

He was born on 13 October 1973 in Hillsboro, Illinois, and grew up on the family farm with his twin brother Mark. He credits farm work, lifting corn bags and splitting wood, for his strength and work ethic. He won the Illinois high school state wrestling title in 1991 and 1992. He wrestled at Lincoln College and then Eastern Illinois University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American.

Getting started

His professional debut came on 1 January 1998 in Chicago, a slam knockout of Erick Snyder in 15 seconds. He trained with Pat Miletich at Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa. “Pat has made the biggest difference to my career,” he said. He fought around the American Midwest and in Japan and Australia, and made his UFC debut at UFC 22 in September 1999 with a decision over Valeri Ignatov.

Career chapters

1. 1998Professional debut in Chicago
2. 1999UFC debut at UFC 22
3. 2001Wins the UFC welterweight title from Carlos Newton
4. 2004Loses the title to B.J. Penn, then wins it back against Georges St-Pierre
5. 2005Beats Frank Trigg in a fight now in the Hall of Fame
6. 2006Beats Penn and Royce Gracie, then loses the title to St-Pierre
7. 2010UFC Hall of Fame
8. 2013Retires and joins the UFC front office

First reign 2001 to 2004

On 2 November 2001 at UFC 34 in Las Vegas, Carlos Newton caught him in a triangle choke in the second round. Hughes lifted him and slammed him, and Newton was knocked out. The finish is still debated, but the title was his. He defended it five times, against Hayato Sakurai, Newton in a rematch, Gil Castillo, Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg. On 31 January 2004 at UFC 46, B.J. Penn, Who’s Who number 17 choked him out in the first round and took the belt.

Second reign 2004 to 2006

On 22 October 2004 at UFC 50 he met a young, unbeaten Georges St-Pierre, Who’s Who number 21 for the vacant title and won with an armbar in the last second of the first round. On 16 April 2005 at UFC 52 he faced Trigg again. Trigg dropped him and took his back, but Hughes escaped, carried Trigg across the Octagon, slammed him and choked him out in the first round. That fight is now in the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing. In 2006 he beat Royce Gracie. Then at UFC 63 he lost the first two rounds to Penn and stopped him in the third. “That just meant I had three left,” he said. In November 2006 St-Pierre took the title from him at UFC 65.

Later years 2007 to 2013

He coached opposite Matt Serra on The Ultimate Fighter season 6 and beat Serra in 2009, raising Serra’s hand afterwards. He also beat Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida. He went into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010. His last fight was at UFC 135 in Denver in September 2011, where Josh Koscheck stopped him with punches at the end of the first round. In January 2013 he retired and took a role in the UFC’s front office.

Style, technique and the corner

How he fights

He was a wrestler first. He used size, strength and the fence to control opponents, then took them down and hit them from the top. UFC.com calls the slam his trademark. He had 14 submission wins, including rear-naked chokes, the armbar on St-Pierre, a kimura and an anaconda choke. Against Royce Gracie he used hip pressure to flatten him out on the mat.

Teams and gyms

He trained at Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa under Pat Miletich. He later founded the H.I.T. Squad gym in Granite City, Illinois, which he has since sold.

Stories people still tell

1. The idol.

   Georges St-Pierre, Who’s Who number 21 said that when he first fought Hughes he could hardly look him in the eye.

2. Carrying Trigg.

   Hurt and with Trigg on his back, he stood up, carried him across the cage and slammed him.

3. Three rounds left.

   Two rounds down against Penn in 2006, he came back to win in the third.

Legacy

He is a two-time UFC welterweight champion, a UFC Hall of Famer and the owner of a Fight Wing classic. He has said he always modelled himself on Randy Couture, Who’s Who number 27.