Welcome to the newest weekly article produced by MMA-Freak. I will have a new article every week, and you the fans get to vote for the fighter you want me to cover.
The Freak of the Week will focus on a different fighter every week (current or retired) and I will discuss that fighter’s best win and loss in his/her career.
Matt Hughes (45-9 MMA) holds the record for most UFC wins with 18. Hughes was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on May 2010 and is the first inductee for the MMA-Freak of the Week.
Matt Hughes historic career is nothing to laugh at and at one time was considered the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world. Hughes has had some great wins and losses in his career, but only a few stand out to make the list.
~ Honorable Mention Losses ~
Matt Hughes last two fights were knockout losses to Josh Koscheck and BJ Penn, but to be fair, Hughes was at the end of his career. His first main loss in the UFC to an unexpected B.J. Penn at UFC 46 for the title was one of the best upsets in UFC history. And even his knock out loss to Thiago Alves was a great knock out via flying knee, but Alves looked in another weight-class and out sized Hughes. His second loss to GSP was also impressive, but not the worst loss in my opinion.
~ Worst Matt Hughes Loss ~
UFC 65 set the mood for a change of the guard in the welterweight division and a passing of the torch. UFC 50, Hughes beat GSP for the vacant welterweight championship, but when GSP received (begged) for his rematch, he didn’t disappoint. GSP came in with his wrestling background, but his striking looked greatly improved. Hughes didn’t know how to match the speed of GSP, and this is when I really noticed the “all around MMA fighter” being born. GSP caught Hughes with a devastating head-kick dropping him to the mat in the second round. From there GSP got on top of the champ and dropped some dangerous ground and pound finishing the fight with a brutal elbow to capture the welterweight championship.
~ Honorable Mention Wins ~
Matt Hughes was the most dominate wrestler in the UFC for a very long time, and I still consider him the best wrestler at 170, besides GSP. Carlos Newton (twice), Frank Trigg (the first fight), GSP, Hayato Sakurai, Joe Riggs, Renzo Gracie, and even Royce Gracie are among the list of fighters that Matt Hughes ran through in his most dominate of hours. One fight has always stood out in my eyes in Hughes career, and is still to this day my favorite fight of all time and one of the best comebacks of all times.
~ Best Matt Hughes Win ~
UFC 52 was the stage for one of the biggest welterweight rivalries, and one of the UFC’s best grudge matches of all time as Hughes and Trigg would rematch for the welterweight title. It was no secret that Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg hated each other. Trigg has always been too cocky even for his own good. When Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg re-matched in Vegas in 2005, no one could of guessed what was about to happen.
Both guys came out with their game faces on and anger in their eyes. Mario Yamasaki had trouble with them from the stair down where Trigg and Hughes grind-ed faces, Hughes then shoved Trigg and Trigg blew a kiss at Hughes and his corner. The crowd was going crazy and Joe Rogan was having a verbal organism before they even started fighting.
Hughes started the fight with a high kick that was blocked by Trigg. Not even a minute into the fight everyone would see what kind of fighter Trigg really was. Both fighters were clinched against the cage when Trigg “purposely” hit Matt Hughes in the groin with his knee. The champ immediately looked hurt and backed away.
In Trigg’s defense this is when the phrase, “if the ref didn’t see it, it didn’t happen,” is the most apt. Trigg jumped on Hughes as soon and he connected with the knee. Trigg tried and almost did finish the fight.
The ref did almost call it, but gave Hughes the benefit of the doubt. Trigg got mount and to this day I blame his corner for his loss. Trigg had Hughes hurt and mounted and if you re-watch the fight you can hear his corner telling Trigg to take his time and relax, “You got this” his corner said. Laying on Hughes and not attacking while he was hurt is was ruined Trigg’s chances of becoming the new welterweight champion that night in my opinion.
Trigg took Hughes back and did lock in a rear-naked choke, but Hughes gave Trigg his back to escape, not to go to sleep. Trigg was looking to get even from their first fight with a rear-naked choke of his own, but that was not the case. Instead Trigg was about to receive karma for hitting Hughes in the groin.
The champ escaped the choke hold, pinned Trigg against the cage, and then did something the UFC still has never seen and will probably never see again. Hughes lifted Trigg on his shoulders and ran from one side of the cage to the other and delivered the best UFC slam in history in my opinion. The crowd screamed so loud, everyone jumped out of their seats and the place went nuts.
From there Hughes mounted Trigg and dropped heavy hands and elbows upon his face. Trigg gave up his back, but not to escape like Hughes, instead it was out of pure desperation.
Trigg refused to make the mistake of standing up and getting choked out like he did in their first fight, but Hughes still was able to roll him over and get the tap via rear-naked choke for the second time. Hughes finished the fight with a minute left in the first round and the crowd was so loud showing their support for the champ after his win.
Hughes is one of my favorite fighters of all time and I will never forget him or this fight.
Next week I expect The MMA-Freak of the Week to be just as good as this weeks, if not better. Us over here at MMA-Freak.com want you the fans to be a part of this as much as we are so every week you will vote on who you want me to write about. It’s in your hands now!
~ Top 3 Picks of the Week ~
Vote 1 for Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell
Vote 2 for Rich “Ace” Franklin
Vote 3 for B.J. Penn
~Ben McPhee (Follow me on twitter – @mmawriter1)