Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves at UFC 85
April 25, 2008 by Michael Huckaby
It looks like the UFC’s scramble to save the event post-Liddell is going swimmingly.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Matt Hughes will return to action on June 7 in London to face Thiago Alves in the main event of UFC 85, as confirmed from sources within Alves’ camp, as well as Hughes on his personal website.
No panic from the UFC as they quickly throw in hometown favorite Michael Bisping to fight Chris Leben on the UK show and now add this fantastic matchup. I’d personally take those two fights over Liddell vs Rashad in the first place. Kudos to the UFC for quick timing and good judgment.
Obviously Serra won’t be able to go again until the end of the year so a tune up fight for Matt Hughes against another top contender fits in perfectly. Win or lose for Hughes, a fight with Serra will still draw alot of interest while a win for Alves could make his career.
Click for updated UFC 85 fight card.
Wow! The UFC rarely comes through like this, so I will give them their due props! Nice job Dana and Joe! I don’t even know who to root for in this one. I love watching Alves fight and I want him to keep winning, but I really don’t want hughes’ legacy to get any more tarnished. Gonna be a great matchup though.
IM STOKED
They’ve really gone out of their way to save this card. Great fight.
I’m impressed Hughes accepted a fight on less than 2 months notice in a foreign country. I hope it’s because he’s hungry and not because he’s also underestimating Alves.
anyone else expect alves to walk away with this one? in the words of gsp: “i was not imprezzed with iz performenz” in his last fight (hughes).
“going swimmingly”?
What the hell does that mean?
NO FREAKIN’ WAY!
NOICE!
Echoing #1Nick…Wow! I didn’t see this coming at all and I also agree that it is a far superior fight to Chuck/Rashad.
I guess I owe poster Mike Wolfe a public apology for buying into the BS rumor of Nog/Mir. (At least I didn’t say it was Fedor/Randy at 85, lol!)
Cant wait to see Hughes get dominated! And who else thinks he will under estimate Serra and end up like GSP did?
its gonna be great to see MH get punked out again. why do i see him as some sort of mma jobber all of the sudden? is it just me but he seems like one of these old wwe wrestlers getting jobbed out to make all these younger guys look better before he retires all of the sudden.
Does Hughes deserve a main event fight? IMO he doesnt
this really does nothing for me personally, maybe others are happy, but this dosent make the card better for me.
“I also agree that it is a far superior fight to Chuck/Rashad”
nope.
maybe Irvin/Rashad.. but Chuck/Rashad?? i don’t think so..
and #9,
Hughes is going to do to Serra what GSP did to Serra last week.. believe me..
Hughes is just as COCKY as Serra and I can just see him taking Serra to lighty and suffering the same as GSP did although yes GSP did avenge and destroyed Serra but who the hell would wanna pay to see Serra-Hughes a 2nd time if Serra beats him.
hughes/alves totally redeems this previously lackluster card. it got polished a tad with Bisping/Leben but this newly added fight makes it completely worthwhile. I give Matt credit for taking this fight, Alves’ speed and agility is farther superior to his. I would think all odds are in favor of Alves. Though, Matt’s days as a fighter are far from over- he could totally catch an overconfident Alves.
Am I the only one who thinks Hughes is going to win this, and then win his fight against Serra later this year? Hughes has said he’s been keeping his exercise/training regime up in anticipation of the Serra fight and that he’s kept his diet in line. We’ll see a prep’d Hughes, even on such short notice, and seriously, you can’t count the guy out ever, he’s no one hit wonder.
I AGREE WITH YOU PATRICK, just because hughes has lost to st pierre twice, he did beat him once, and he beat bj penn, so there is no way hughes is a one hit wonder(that would be absurd to even think that), hughes will come in very prepared and alves is a jits guy just like serra, so he has already been preparing for a fight of this magnitude
I think Hughes will win too….
HUGHES IS GOING TO SMASH ALVES, maybe not completely smash him but smash him nonetheless
i think Alves will end up being overwhelmed by Hughes..
you know every now and then there’s a fight where one guy is definately capable of beating his opponent, but it seems as though they were just overwhelmed by the popularity of the other fighter or the importance of the fight [ex: stevenson/penn]
i think that will happen here..
i’m givin’ Hughes either a late 2nd round TKO.. or a UD.. either way.. i’m seeing Hughes getting the “W”..
He may be a dick but he’s a reliable dick. Thanks Matt Hughes for saving UFC 79 and now UFC 75.
make that 85?
yeah… 85.
I’d be willing to bet Matt took this fight because he looks at it as an easy win against a fighter who is not as good as his hype seems at the moment. Almost like a buy high sort of deal. But I hope he’s not thinking that way because Alves is no joke. I think Matt will have a hard time dealing with his explosiveness and wouldn’t be surprised to see Alves walk away with the win.
Matt Hughes took the fight because he wants to beat the shit out of someone and get back on the win column! Why all of the sudden does everybody count hughes out? Is it because he got beat by a younger,stronger fighter in the prime of his life?! Well, by all rights gsp should have won that fight. Matt Hughes is already hall of fame bound and has aleady proven himself time and time again. Sometimes it takes an ass kicking to get back to being hungry again. Hughes will come back strong, believe me! MATT HUGHES BY COMPOUND FRACTURE IN ROUND ONE!!!
Matt has more experience in dealing with fighters like Alves. Alves maybe strong but he needs to be a GSP or BJ to pull this one off. Hughes by GnP tko or decision.
I completely agree. Its not about winning the champion belt or beating the shit out of someone. What truly counts is how long can you hang on to the belt? That is the test that seperates you from a Good Fighter or a Legendary Fighter. Matt Hughes has hung onto that belt longer than any fucking person in the UFC. Who else can say the same? GSP lost his belt as fast as he won it. Matt Hughes is a Christian and a great role model. He’s smart, cocky(wouldn’t you be if you were good at everything you did? He does have bragging rights) He’s a 2 time Division 1 All American Wrestler. He doesnt cuss or act out for attention and exposure. When GSP loses his Title is everyone gonna start jumpin on the Band wagon and counting him out? wtf..
Hughes is going to absolutely SMASH Alves….. I’m wondering where all those “Hughes is finished” people are getting their info from. Hughes is the THE MOST DOMINANT champion in UFC history, NUFF SAID! So he lost to GSP, who happens to be one of the best pound for pound fighters IN THE WORLD. If you guys think Alves would make it to the 2nd round against GSP you’re all out of your minds!!! Hughes will win by Gnp no later than the end of round 1 and you can all take that one to the bank! GUARANTEED!!
hughes is over rated slow one dimensional wrestler
alves is younger faster and has more weapons-
kicks knees strikes and bjj to boot– alves shocks hughes
with a first round knock-out– alves is the number 3 ww
in ufc behind gsp and fitch really good value of a bet at
plus 185 also like werdum to beat vera by decision….
also fedor will knock out sylvia and dominate couture if
they fight thats a fact jack