However, struggles aside, it looks like Hughes will indeed be back inside the Octagon at some point in 2012 after deciding to give it a go at least one more time.

Hughes’ announced his intent last weekend on Fuel TV during the network’s coverage of UFC on FOX 2.

“My wife’s a great lady, but she’s not going to tell me when Matt Hughes retires,” Hughes explained while saying the final say would ultimately be come from UFC President Dana White.

Hughes continued on to say he wasn’t targeting anyone specifically though British striker Dan Hardy has expressed an interest in fighting Hughes and the two have exchanged barbs online.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“The Outlaw” was kept from being released by the UFC thanks to his willingness to go all-out each time he has fought, including a war with Chris Lytle in his last encounter. Hardy lost, adding to defeats at the hands of UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit, and Anthony Johnson.

Hardy, however, has plans for his return to action, calling out UFC Hall of Fame fighter Matt Hughes, easily the most dominant welterweight title-holder in UFC history before GSP showed up.

“I’ve mentioned Matt Hughes to Lorenzo. He’s been on a rough streak as well recently, he’ll look at me and see I’ve lost four fights and think he can outwrestle me,” said Hardy, in a recent interview with ESPN. “I also genuinely don’t like him. I need a fight to get up for and I’d take great pleasure in smashing him in the face.”

Prior to dropping four in a row, Hardy had won seven consecutive fights to secure his shot at GSP and the UFC title. The Brit has no love for Hughes, saying, “It’s some knowledge I have about him away from the sport. Even students around where he lives bet against him.” Hardy refused to divulge any further information.

Hughes is currently still deciding if he even wants to fight again, having suffered a knockout loss to Josh Koscheck earlier this year. However, a little more trash-talk from a Brit with name value who is in a career free-fall could be enough to bring him back into the cage and provide him with an opportunity to retire on a high note.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“I think he’s going to retire,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “I just don’t think Hughes wants to say the word ‘retire.’”

The loss to Koscheck, which came at 4:59 in the first round, was Hughes’ second straight KO loss. It was also the last fight on his current contract. While White has never been concerned with the contract status of Hughes, saying, “There was a lot of talk that this was the last fight on his contract. I don’t know if that’s true or not because he’s a guy I’ve never worried about last fights or whatever,” the UFC president will talk things over with the UFC Hall of Famer and figure out what’s next.

“He’s going to fly out to Vegas in the next month or so and sit down and talk, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to hang it up – without saying ‘retire,’” stated White. “I’m almost 100 percent positive he’s going to retire. I don’t think he’s going to do anything else.”

Prior to his bout with Koscheck, Hughes said that he wanted to go out with a victory and that his wife will play a major factor in what he decides to do next.

Hughes’ fight on Saturday was his 25th appearance in the octagon, tied for the most all-time with Tito Ortiz. His eighteen UFC wins are the most in company history.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

Royce Gracie, who opened the world’s eyes by winning three of the UFC’s first four tournaments, was recently interviewed by MMAFighting where he revealed his loss for former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes still haunts him.

“That’s the only one. I want to be able to show up to the fight. (Before), I didn’t show up,” said Gracie of a potential rematch.

While their bout at UFC 60 was far from competitive, Gracie explained he wasn’t fully on his game when they originally fought in 2006 though didn’t provide any great detail on why that was the case. However, if he is unable to procure a second shot at Hughes it won’t prevent the submission specialist from moving on with his life.

“If it happens, good. If it doesn’t happen, good.”

The 44-year old Gracie hasn’t fought in more than four years when he outpointed old rival Kazushi Sakuraba to score a controversial decision at “K-1 HERO’s Dynamite!! USA”. If he never steps into the cage again he will retire with a 14-2-3 record including twelve wins by way of tap-out.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the future match-up first surfaced on the UFC’s website earlier today where it was also explained the organization was targeting Fall for the fracas. However, no specific date or event was mentioned though logical landing spots for the bout include UFC Live 5, UFN 25, or UFC 135 given the timeframe and shows’ wide-open cards.

“The Dream” is coming off a razor thin decision against Martin Kampmann in their instant-classic at UFC Live 3 where he maintained aggression and focus for three rounds while enduring a number of cuts and significant swelling to his face courtesy of Kampmann’s precise striking. The performance marked Sanchez’s second straight victory since being outpointed in his return to welterweight by John Hathaway after a three-fight run at 155-pounds.

Meanwhile, Hughes will be looking to get back on the winning track after suffering an opening round knockout to B.J. Penn at UFC 123 last November. Prior to the defeat he had won three in a row including success against Ricardo Almeida and Matt Serra. The former UFC welterweight champ holds an overall record of 45-8 with thirty-five of the wins coming as the result of a finish.

In an official press release on the matter Finney explained, “H.I.T. Squad is already considered one of the top MMA gyms in the world. Our goal is to make it THE top MMA gym. We have already begun making improvements to both training facilities, improvements that will ultimately generate bigger and better opportunities for our fighters as we evolve.”

One of the additions mentioned was a newly installed full-size competition cage.

“I fully support the change in ownership and look forward to working with Finney and his team,” said Hughes of the news. “This is a positive change that will generate new opportunities for the gym and make the HIT Squad brand even stronger….(it) has added value to the facility and our stable of fighters has already increased from 40 to 80. We are all very excited about the direction the gym is going.”

Other HIT Squad fighters include UFC veterans Matt Veach and Jon Madsen.

PHOTO CREDIT – Finney’s HIT Squad

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column.

With Jose Aldo potentially out of UFC 125, how do you think the UFC should handle the co-headlining vacancy?

Tool: The easy answer would be to simply move the Clay Guida/Takanori Gomi match-up into the co-main event slot while sliding the Brandon Vera/Thiago Silva fight up from the preliminary card. We already know that Josh Grispi is now likely to face Dustin Poirier, and Grispi will be lucky if he’s kept on the main card. I know I’m not alone in being completely bummed that Aldo’s first defense of the UFC Featherweight Championship will be delayed, but maybe there’s a way to keep two title fights on the card.

My suggestion would be to make Dominick Cruz the UFC Bantamweight Champion and move his defense against Scott Jorgensen from WEC 53 to UFC 125. Yes, the fans going to the WEC’s final show get screwed out of a title fight but that card already has a pretty good title fight headlining the event. There’s also the simple fact that the preliminary portion of WEC 53 is packed with intriguing match-ups, and removing the Cruz/Jorgensen fight from the televised broadcast opens up airtime for at least two more fights. The ratings for WEC 53 will be irrelevant since the organization will be non-existent once the show is over. At the same time the year end PPV is a big deal for Zuffa, and without a truly compelling title fight in the main event (apologies to all the Frank Edgar/Gray Maynard fans, wherever you may be) the show needs all the extra juice it can get.

Conlan: Tool’s solutions both make sense and I can’t find fault with either other than perhaps feeling as though, regardless of ratings, WEC deserves to go out with a bang rather than a whimper. To add another option into the mix, if Guida vs. Gomi were to move up, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Marcus Davis’ lightweight debut against Jeremy Stephens get the nod over Silva/Vera. Both men love to stand and exchange, plus each is coming off a loss so they’ll undoubtedly be looking to impress at the event.

Also, assuming the involved individuals were able to push their training schedules up, either light heavyweight pairing scheduled for a month later at UFC 126 would be perfectly suited for the co-headlining vacancy. Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin features former champions, both immensely popular even on a mainstream level, and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader is a battle between two of the organization’s brightest rising stars. A set of 205-pounders will in a sense be a “third wheel” over Superbowl Weekend, so why not reap the marketability of one of the two to properly promote a major show like UFC 125?

Who would you like to see Matt Hughes face next in an attempt to rebound from his first-round knockout at UFC 123?

Tool: I still don’t know if we really need to see Hughes finish out another trilogy be trying for a third time to beat Dennis Hallman, so let’s see what else we can come up with. Since Hughes has been so picky in his fight selections for the last year (at least, if the boys at American Kickboxing Academy are to be believed) this could get a bit tricky. It’s also tough to create fresh fights for somebody who’s been around for so long and done so much.

I’ve got an idea, but it involves doing something I never do when I play fantasy match-maker. I’m going to assume that somebody will lose their next fight, and I’d like to see that person matched up with Hughes. I’m talking about the most popular man in the UFC: Josh Koscheck. Barring some minor miracle, we all know Koscheck is losing to Georges St. Pierre next month. Koscheck will need to beat a respectable opponent in order to bounce back from his French-Canadian clowning, and Hughes gets to keep a prime spot on the card against a well-known opponent.

Conlan: I’ll stick to present possibilities in my response (though I like the idea of Hughes vs. Koscheck simply from the standpoint it would be fun to see the former welterweight champ be the focus of raucous cheering rather than booing).

As far as his future in the Octagon, Dan Hardy and Martin Kampmann are both currently without official opponents and pose interesting match-ups for Hughes. Each is excellent on the ground with well-rounded striking but both have struggled at times against high-level wrestlers. Comparably, Hughes’ grappling is his gravy and his stand-up still somewhat questionable. Kampmann/Hardy are also respected enough competitors to lend momentum back to Hughes’ career if he’s able to win without damaging it too much if he falls again, not to mention are fairly recognizable fighters meaning the match-up could easily be slotted in as a PPV’s co-headlining bout.

TRUE/FALSE – Lyoto Machida was robbed of a win on Saturday night.

Tool: FALSE. While I thought Machida won after watching the fight, it was a close enough contest that I would be willing to say either man could have gotten it. I try to reserve the term robbery for fights where the winner is clear to everybody except the judges, like the recent Sean Sherk/Evan Dunham decision. If Machida had won either of the first two rounds as convincingly as he did the third, then we would have a robbery on our hands.

Conlan: Agreed – FALSE. Though Machida easily earned the third round, I don’t believe he did enough in the bout’s opening ten minutes to merit a definitive decision victory. His style, often appearing as a lack of willingness to engage, may have hurt him in the judges’ eyes in comparison to Jackson’s obvious openness to striking with the Brazilian when the officials thought back on the action after each round’s conclusion. The irony is that Machida’s stand-up actually looked good enough to have possibly put “Rampage” in real trouble had he been a little more aggressive or at least won him another of the fight’s frames. Had the bout involved a title, and another pair of rounds, I think the win would have easily been Machida’s. However, within the context of what I saw last weekend, I don’t think the outcome was anything worth getting overly upset about.

Which result from Saturday was more upsetting: Nik Lentz’s decision win over Tyson Griffin or the early ending of round one in the Maiquel Falcao/Gerald Harris fight?

Conlan: Neither was particularly upsetting per say, but I’d say the lack of professionalism involved in the first round of Falcao vs. Harris was inexcusable whereas a controversial judges’ decision is something fans have grown to expect over the past few years. I can grasp how three individuals might have incorrectly scored a bout, though in fairness I never saw exactly how “off” their opinions were based on the match-up never being aired, but I fail to understand how a timekeeper could shed 5-6 seconds off of a round, especially in a situation where one of the two competitors was on the cusp of tapping out.

Tool: I guess maybe I was a bit more upset about the Falcao/Harris fiasco just because of what it cost the people involved. Consider this hypothetical, and extremely likely, scenario that might have been the result of this fight had the timekeeper not messed up. With Harris locked up tight in a rear naked choke, another six seconds means that Falcao would have won this fight via submission in round 1. As a result Falcao would have been in the running for a “Submission of the Night” bonus, and reviews of his performance would have been glowingly positive. Now instead we have nearly everyone in the fight world watching Falcao’s next fight with extra scrutiny to see if he tries to win a round via staring once again.

Obviously things are much worse for Gerald Harris since he’s now out of a job. If he had he lost by submission in the first round there would be little shame in that, since he was facing a (mostly) unknown fighter making his UFC debut. Instead Harris’ effort in the third round, or lack thereof, was his undoing as he was inexplicably cut from the UFC after winning three fights and two “KO of the Night” bonuses. There’s no way to know whether or not Harris would have kept his job had he been submitted, but it’s safe to say that this fight would have been far better for everybody if it had ended in the first five minutes like it was supposed to

Do you agree with the UFC making George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver for UFC 127, and if not, who would you match Sotiropoulos up with to get him on the Australia card?

Conlan: I’m okay with the match-up from the standpoint Siver has won six of his last seven fights and provides not only a worthwhile adversary for Sotiropoulos but also a relatively beatable opponent for the Aussie to secure a title-shot with in front of his countrymen. There’s no reason for the Ultimate Fighter Season 6 alumnus to sit idly by while the UFC’s lightweight title situation works itself out, especially when he can fight in Australia. Though Siver is far from a guaranteed victory, he’s also far from a favorite, and another win over someone with his past success would surely cement Sotiropoulos’ contedership as opposed to potentially getting leap-frogged by another apt 155-pounder.

Tool: The fight should be entertaining to say the least, but beyond that it seems like another step sideways when Sotiropoulos should be stepping up. If only there was some former UFC Lightweight Champion without a fight scheduled who could provide Sotiropoulos with the kind of test that would show whether or not he’s ready for the top levels of the sport. Oh wait, there totally is: Sherk. I’m one of many fans who thinks that Dunham should have won against Sherk at UFC 119, but even if you disagree with the decision you have to agree that Sherk looked much better than expected following a sixteen month layoff. Sherk may or may not have one more run at the top in him and a fight against the surging Sotiropoulos makes so much damn sense that I really have to wonder why it’s not happening.

Are you still interested in a potential Nick Diaz/”Mayhem” Miller fight?

Conlan: Absolutely. Strikeforce is hurting for welterweight contenders and doesn’t have a lot of options for any of the fighters on their roster. Putting Diaz and Miller in the ring together at a catch-weight would create one of the few marquee match-ups the promotion has at its disposal by capitalizing on their personal dislike of one another, their well-rounded skill-sets, and the reality both men are extremely talented when it comes to promoting a fight through soundbytes/interviews. My feeling is that Strikeforce is at a point where they can’t afford to bypass bouts like Diaz vs. Miller based on both marketability and necessity, and to do so would hammer one more nail into their proverbial coffin where mainstream relevance is concerned.

I want to also add I genuinely believe Strikeforce would love to deliver “The Smoker” vs. “The Joker” but it’s out of their hands unless Miller agrees to drop to 178 pounds or Diaz relents on his refusal to fight at middleweight. Perhaps an undisclosed bonus would do the trick?

Tool: By now it’s clear that Strikeforce isn’t exactly in the position of giving us a lot of fights that make sense, but even now this match-up still has plenty of appeal to it. I’ve said it before that Strikeforce is wasting the talents of (arguably) the most famous fighter on their roster, Miller. He’s not fighting all that often which seems strange given the built-in audience he could bring to the sport with his mainstream success on MTV. Diaz is one of the best (if not the best) fighters in the company, so if you’re not going to match him up with the best fighters in his division why not give him the biggest fights you can make?

The former welterweight champion, who was knocked out by the Hawaiian twenty-one seconds into the opening round, must also avoid full-contact training until the period runs out.

News of Hughes’ suspension, as well as the other Mixed Martial Artists temporarily out of action, was made available by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission.

Four other fighters will join Hughes on the list of casualties emanating from Detroit including George Sotiropoulos, who will need to receive a doctor’s clearance before returning to action in relation to an eye poke he sustained during his “Fight of the Night”-winning scrap with Joe Lauzon.

Here is the complete rundown of UFC 123 suspension information:

Mike Lullo – Suspended 30 days with no contact for precautionary reasons, must receive a physician’s clearance (thigh/leg) before returning
T.J. O’Brien – Suspended 30 days with no contact for precautionary reasons
Karo Parisyan – Suspended 30 days with no contact for precautionary reasons
George Sotiropoulos – Suspended 30 days with no contact for precautionary reasons, must receive a physician’s clearance (eye) before returning
Matt Hughes – Suspended 60 days with no contact for precautionary reasons

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Also on this stacked UFC 123 card, former welterweight champions will settle their score as UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and former two-division champion BJ Penn face off in the rubber match of one of the greatest trilogies in fight history.

“When you think of Detroit, the first names that come to mind are legends like Joe Louis and Tommy Hearns,” UFC President Dana White said. “This is a real fight town with diehard fight fans, so I’m happy to be the guy bringing big fights to the Motor City.”

“We’re bringing the best UFC fighters here on November 20th,” added White, who is heading to Detroit on Thursday, September 16th, to meet with the media and officially announce UFC 123. “Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida are two of the top light heavyweights in the world. I expect this fight to be a war, as both of these guys want to get back in the title run. The co-main event is Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn, two of the best fighters in UFC history. They have both beat each other and jumped at the opportunity to fight a third time.”

“We’ve stayed in constant touch with the UFC for several years now in working together to develop an opportunity to place one of their electrifying events at The Palace of Auburn Hills,” said Stu Mayer, Senior Vice President, Sports & Events for Palace Sports & Entertainment. “We’re both extremely pleased that it’s finally become a reality. UFC 123 will no doubt be embraced by the greater Detroit area and throughout the state of Michigan.”

A ferocious competitor known for his aggressive slams and knockout power, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (fighting out of Memphis, Tenn. / professional record: 30-8) has been in there with the best and has beaten the best. A former PRIDE veteran and UFC light heavyweight champion, the Memphis native’s UFC stint has seen him score knockout victories over Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva and decision wins over Dan Henderson and Keith Jardine, making it clear that the 32-year-old can stand in the Octagon with anyone.

“I started this camp very early,” Jackson said. “I stayed in shape from the last fight and the weight hasn’t been an issue this time. Every single minute of this camp will be focused on technique, not getting back in shape or shaking the ring rust after a long time off.

“If Machida decides to fight me, it will be an exciting fight for one round before he goes to sleep. I am expecting him to run from me, though. He’d wear sneakers into the Octagon if he could! But don’t worry, I will hunt him down and get him anyway.”

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Machida Karate, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (fighting out of Belem, Brazil / 16-1) has proved he is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. The former UFC light heavyweight champion won his first 16 professional fights and is focused on getting back into the title picture. Winning five of his first six fights in the UFC, the 32-year-old has finished three bouts, including a submission win over Rameau Sokoudjou and knock out victories against Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans.

“I know what it’s like to be the champion and I want to be the champion again,” Machida said. “I respect Rampage and I think he is an incredible fighter, but I’m going to expose his weaknesses – I’m going to win this fight on November 20 and go after the light heavyweight title.”

A fighter that is seeing a renaissance during an already brilliant career, Matt Hughes (fighting out of Hillsboro, Ill. / 46-7) has won his last three fights, putting himself back in the title picture once again. After a unanimous decision win against Matt Serra, a KO victory over Renzo Gracie, and a submission victory over Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Ricardo Almeida, the 36-year-old has cemented his UFC Hall Of Fame status as he looks to get his welterweight title back.

In a move back to the 170-pound class after a very successful run as champion at 155 pounds, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii / 15-7-1) will meet Hughes in a highly-anticipated rubber match. After Penn won their first fight via submission at UFC 46 and Hughes evened the score via TKO at UFC 63, both fighters are hungry to break the tie. Penn, a highly decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, has always been known as a finisher, and with fighters such as Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, Joe Stevenson, Jens Pulver and even Hughes on that list, the 31-year-old Hawaiian is one of the sport’s most dangerous competitors.

Tickets for UFC 123 will go on sale Monday, September 20 at 10 a.m. ET and will be priced at $400, $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at Palacenet.com, Ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone (800.745.3000) and all Ticketmaster retail locations.

UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Friday, September 17 starting at 10 a.m. ET via UFCFightClub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Saturday, September 18 starting at 10a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 123 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available). UFC 123 will also be available on Pay-Per-View in Spanish in the United States.

News of the possible match-up was reported by MMAFighting.

“The Prodigy” has not competed outside of the lightweight division since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in January 2009. He is 0-3 as a welterweight since 2006 with an additional loss to “GSP”, as well as the previously mentioned mugging by Hughes at UFC 63. Penn is 15-7-1 in his career and will be coming off back-to-back losses to current 155-pound champ Frank Edgar.

While Penn has been struggling as of late, Hughes is presently riding a three-fight win streak including a “Submission of the Night” performance over BJJ blackbelt Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117. It was also the third consecutive victory for the self-professed “country boy” over opponents who were highly proficient at Jiu-Jitsu (like Penn).

UFC 123 is scheduled for November 20th at The Palace of Auburn Hills outside of Detroit, Michigan. On top of Penn vs. Hughes III, the event is slated to feature a light heavyweight bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida, as well as top contendership on the line when lightweight George Sotiropoulos puts his grappling to the test against 19-5 Joe Lauzon.

According to figures released by the CSAC and later reported by MMAFighting, Hughes made $200,000 for his win over Almeida (as well as $60,000 for earning “Submission of the Night”). He was only topped by current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva in terms of take-home pay.

Also making six-figures for a win at the event was Jon Fitch. In addition to earning a shot at the UFC welterweight title by beating Thiago Alves the American Kickboxing Academy staple also earned $108,000 in pay for the unanimous decision victory.

Here is a complete rundown of “UFC 117” payment information made available including event-specific bonuses:

Dennis Hallman: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Ben Saunders: $12,000
Stefan Struve: $90,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus) def. Christian Morecraft: $6,000
Tim Boetsch: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus) def. Todd Brown: $6,000
Johny Hendricks: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Charlie Brenneman: $8,000
Phil Davis: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus) def. Rodney Wallace: $6,000
Rick Story: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Dustin Hazelett: $18,000
Junior dos Santos: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Roy Nelson: $15,000
Matt Hughes: $260,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus) def. Ricardo Almeida: $35,000
Clay Guida: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. Rafael Dos Anjos: $12,000
Jon Fitch: $108,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus) def. Thiago Alves: $48,000*
Anderson Silva: $320,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus, $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus) def. Chael Sonnen: $95,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)

* – Alves’ original salary was $60,000 but took a 20% hit for not making weight against Fitch

At one point it looked like Lawler was in trouble as Melvin Manhoef, one of Strikeforce’s recent acquisitions unleashed a punishing series of brutal non stop leg kicks and body shots. The packed house watched in what was almost an eerie silence as it looked like Lawler might go down.

“What was hard for me was sitting there and watching my teammate partner/ brother get kicked like he did,” said Matt Hughes, Lawler’s training partner and former welterweight UFC champion. “Melvin threw some vicious kicks, so I mean it was a very hard fight to watch in the corner.”

Lawler managed to pull through despite his painful injuries while basically only having one good leg to use. In one fell swoop he landed a short overhand right knocking Manhoef down, and followed that with another powerful shot on the mat.

“Robby doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said Hughes. “He is very smart. He knew what he was doing the whole time, he tried suckering him a couple of times beforehand acting like he was hurt and Melvin really wasn’t going for it so. Robby is good at playing possum he did it well and it paid off for him tonight.”

According to Hughes, it was all part of a well thought out game plan by Lawler, who despite his injuries remained calm.

“Melvin had a great game plan,” said the former UFC champion. “He just made the mistake of dropping his hands and Robby watched enough tape to know that is what he does typically when he is trying to finish a fight.”

Next up for “Ruthless”, a well deserved time out.

Shortly thereafter, Hughes confirmed on his website that the fight would happen. He posted:

I didn’t know if I could say anything about my next fight, but I see that Dana has let the cat out of the bag. So I can tell you what I know, on April 10th I will be fighting Renzo Gracie in Abu Dhabi. I haven’t signed any paperwork and I don’t think Renzo has either; but I think this fight is going to happen. That’s all I know, serious training will start for me at the new year.

Hughes, the former welterweight champion, is coming off a decision victory over Matt Serra at UFC 98. The future hall of famer has gone 2-2 in his past four bouts, losing three consecutive to Georges St. Pierre and Thiago Alves, respectively.

Renzo, who hasn’t fought since 2007, is riding a three fight win streak over Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich, and Carlos Newton. The Brazilian will be making his first appearance inside the Octagon, and will mark the return of the legendary Gracie clan.

In addition to the news about the fight, Hughes also let the cat out of the bag about the rumored UFC venture into Abu Dhabi. Not only does his website post confirm the location of the event, but also the set date of April 10th 2010.

Hughes made the news public recently in a blog on his official website, stating:

Last week I went out to Vegas and I signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC, which is much like my last contract. I also brought up the fact that I wanted to do a hunting show and they thought that would be a good thing. They still have to find out who, where and when my next fight will be and I will try to post that info ASAP. Nothing is decided yet, so anything you might be reading on the internet right now is just rumors and speculation. However, one name the UFC did bring up is a person I’ve never fought before.

With a career record of 43-7, Hughes recently bounced back from consecutive defeats in the Octagon by defeating Matt Serra via unanimous decision in a bout that was ruled to be “Fight of the Night” during UFC 98.

“I’ve heard it from Matt Hughes’ mouth that this is going to be his last fight – I think win or lose,” Bonnar said on the latest edition of ESPN’s MMA Live. “He really has nothing left to prove.”

There is no question that Hughes has nothing left to prove. He’s one of the most accomplished fighters the sport has ever seen. During his 11-year career, Hughes held the UFC’s welterweight title from November 2001 to January 2004 and again from October 2004 to November 2006.

His legendary run included seven title defenses and notable wins over Georges St. Pierre, B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Carlos Newton and Royce Gracie.

While there have been a lot of rumors about this being Hughes’ final fight, this is the first time someone close to Hughes has come out and said it. Whether or not Hughes retires probably depends on how he looks against Serra. If Hughes destroys Serra, it may be a lot tougher for him to walk away from the Octagon than if he looks like a shadow of his former self, as was the case recently with Frank Shamrock and Chuck Liddell.

If Hughes does call it a career after Saturday night, he will go down as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport and a certain UFC Hall of Famer. He may not have been the most popular fighter in the world but MMA fans have to respect the overall skill level that Hughes brought to the table. Plus, he came to entertain and whether you liked him or not, his fights were damn fun to watch and in the end, that’s what it’s all about.

The grudge dates back to the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter when Hughes openly mocked Georges St. Pierre in front of the other cast members. The seed was planted in Serra’s head then and he let his thoughts on the welterweight champion be known right then and there, and they weren’t happy thoughts by any means.

Fast forward to the sixth edition of The Ultimate Fighter built around the grudge with Serra and Hughes acting as coaches and you will find countless lines drawn in the sand between the two leading up to tomorrow evening’s inevitable clash of personalities at UFC 98.

In the countdown to UFC 98 which was aired on Spike TV Hughes made it clear that in no way is he impressed by the outspoken Long Islander’s fighting resume.

“Years down the road they’re going to look at past champions, and they’re going to look at Matt Serra and say ‘who the heck is that guy’,” Hughes said during the broadcast.

“I wouldn’t rank him in the top ten welterweights in the world,” the Illinois farmboy went on to say. “He’d probably be lucky to make the top twenty.”

It’s not just Serra’s resume that Hughes isn’t impressed by, he’s not a huge fan of the dangerous grappler’s inability to bite his tongue either.

“It’s funny, when Matt Serra walks in the room you may not see him because he’s so short, but you’ll hear him because he just likes to run his mouth,” said the former two-time UFC welterweight champion.

“I’ve always said that there’s two types of people in this world,” continued Hughes. “There’s doers and there’s talkers. You’re not good at both. He’s obviously good at one of those two things.

“He’s scared and that’s why he’s talking as much as he is.”

As far as the game plan for Hughes is concerned, nothing less than complete and utter domination is on the agenda. It’s time for the sultan of slam to get back to his roots, causing damage.

“I’m going to go out there and be the aggressor,” explained Hughes. “He’s going to be on defense the whole time. I’m going to do what I want the whole time.”

What’s next for Hughes after the bout with Serra is the question on many minds heading into UFC 98. Win or lose, what will the future UFC Hall of Famer do with himself at the conclusion of Saturday evening’s bout with Serra?

“I think I could walk away from Matt Hughes the fighter and be Matt Hughes the farmer, the family man, the coach,” confessed the veteran of fifty professional fights against the best competition the world has to offer.

“After this Serra fight we’ll just see what happens,” concluded Hughes.

I have a strong suspicion that we may be in for an extremely emotional post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and Hughes at UFC 98 one way or the other. Sometimes you don’t realize what you have in this sport until it’s gone.

The always outspoken Serra made his feelings known about his rival on the countdown to UFC 98 which recently aired on Spike TV.

Serra feels strongly that Hughes has a hard time getting past the fact that he was able to knock Georges St. Pierre senseless when the Canadian champion has decimated Hughes in their last two bouts.

“I just think that Hughes has to make himself feel better that this little 5’6″ of dynamite took out a guy that just man handled him a couple times,” said Serra. “So I think that he just has to make that right for his own ego….and uh……..Dude, did I mention he’s a (expletive)? ……Did I?”

Much has been made about this fight being a legacy fight for Serra, and while he won’t deny that for a second, above all he just want to make Hughes feel the pain.

“I want the W, but more than anything I want to give a beating to Matt Hughes,” explained Serra.

It would be a rubber match this time around and also a match for interim welterweight title. The first fight would be for a vacant title after then champ B.J. Penn had disputes and left the organization. Hughes would win their first match in 2004 at UFC 50 by a nice armbar in the first round of the fight with literally one second remaining on the clock he secured his victory and reclaimed the belt.

Their rematch would be in 2006 at UFC 65, GSP would prove to be the better fighter that night, and finished the bout in the second round due to a sharp head kick followed up by punches before the ref halted the bout. The rubber match would once again prove in the favor of GSP when he finished off Hughes with a nicely transitioned armbar in round two, forcing the Hillsboro native Hughes to verbally submit

St. Pierre would then move on to face a recovered Serra at UFC 83, this time for the official title of welterweight champ, GSP proved the first fight to be a fluke and dominated the bout no matter where it went. It was in round two when the interim champ began brutalizing the body of Serra with consecutive knees and no answer back, the ref was forced to stop the fight in favor of St. Pierre.

Since all of this occurred, Serra has been inactive after losing the title back to GSP (due mainly to injuries he was put on the shelf), Hughes had one more match where he fought on short notice to the now # 1 contender Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves at UFC 85, and in round two of the fight he was finished after a flying knee landed flush making the former division best collapse, which gave Alves the incentive to finish the fight with a barrage of followed up punches he claimed (T)KO victory and contender status.

GSP has held on very strong to the title and defended it two times since defeating the loud mouthed New Yorker, and will have his third consecutive defense at UFC 100 where he faces “The Pitbull”.

At Last…..Let’s Get ready to Ruuuumble!

So now we have a set date at UFC 98 on May 23, no injuries, two fighters, both former champs, both former rivals on The Ultimate Fighter, and they both want to beat the crap out of one another, which in my eyes usually equals fireworks and a fight that never hears all 3 rounds finish. Hughes of the two has a far more extensive career, his record is still a very game 42-7-0, Serra on the opposing end holds a record of 9-5-0 which in comparison pales. However even though he doesn’t hold nearly as many fights to his name, the Long Islander is a strong opponent who matches up very well with Hughes.

Serra is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu trained under Renzo Gracie, and was the first American to earn a black belt under the training of a Gracie on May 23, 2000. In grappling tournaments he holds wins over the likes of Takanori Gomi and others. Serra has strong hands but he is not known for knocking people out, actually his only (T)KO to his credit is the one he holds over GSP.

He currently is running Serra Jiu-Jitsu with fellow black belt, and brother Nick Serra. They of course have the Serra Jiu-Jitsu fight team which holds such fighters as Pete Sell, and Luke Cummo, which can do nothing but help in training.

On the opposite end of the rope we have Hughes who is known for his extremely strong wrestling ability, and is considered to be one of the greatest champs to ever grace the octagon (nine time welterweight champion). The former champ is also very diverse in his abilities, he has finished 18 of his opponents by submission, and 15 by (T)KO, he has strong credentials where ever it may go. The guy is capable of competing with the best, and during his prime he seemed almost unbeatable.

In over a decade of competing, the 35 year old Hughes has given us some very memorable fights. From the crazy defeat of Carlos Newton which earned him his first belt at UFC 38, to his battles with B.J. Penn, and his utter destruction of Royce Gracie, he truly deserves the respect for how much he has accomplished. Hughes currently is still running his HIT Squad team and gym out of Granite City, Illinois which houses the like’s of “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, Matt Veach and other veterans and up and comers. He is known for being one of the hardest workers in MMA, and growing up working a farm during the year did nothing but make him stronger.

Who do you think will win?

I am not going to go and say that one fighter will beat the other, because to me this fight is really close and could go either way. Sure if it goes to the ground the Gracie trained fighter should have a dominant defense, but we have also seen that many fighters with a strong wrestling ability and decent knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu can nullify submission attempts.

Call it what you want, but I call it an excellent fight that is way too long in the making. Look for both of these fighters trying to prove that modern MMA has not passed them by like many fighters from the earlier MMA generation.

What we have seen is Serra doesn’t knock out everyone but he has the ability to finish the best given the right opportunity, and the same can be said about Hughes if not more (he is actually impressive when you look at who has beat him recently, they are all top dogs in the division).

So, yes the height will be working in favor of the HIT Squad leader being that he stand’s 5’9” in comparison to a stout 5’6”, but this is height difference that is something Serra is used to at this point in his career. To the credit of Serra he has a tough chin seeing only 2 (T)KO losses in his career.

So now with some brief history on both fighters you can make your call and tell us who you think will win when these two former champs face off on Saturday May 23 at UFC 98 which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nevada. Look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts regarding the fight and actually seeing the event in just under three weeks.

This highly anticipated matchup was originally slated for UFC 79 back in December of 2007 but Serra, who was the welterweight champion at the time, injured his back and he was forced to withdraw from the bout.

Hughes went on to face Georges St. Pierre for a third time and was soundly defeated for a second time by the current UFC welterweight champion. There was a ton of heat between Hughes and Serra and the UFC capitalized by casting them as opposing coaches on the sixth installment of The Ultimate Fighter.

The grudge match was further delayed after Hughes suffered a knee injury during a loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 85 in June of last year. Hughes was able to heal his injury but the bout was delayed yet again this time due to the birth of Serra’s first child this past February. With both fighters healthy and committed fight fans will finally get to see the two rivals go at it on May 23 in Las Vegas.

The encounter will be more for pride than anything else, as Hughes is on the downside of a Hall of Fame career while Serra is looking to prove he was more than a one hit wonder after knocking out St. Pierre at UFC 69 in April of 2007.

A win by either man will not move them any closer to a title shot. Hughes twice lost handily to St. Pierre and Serra was dominated in their highly anticipated rematch last April at UFC 83 in Montreal. St. Pierre controlled the entire fight and wound up winning via TKO late in the second round.

We as a whole do not like change. You can argue it’s a human characteristic. You can argue it’s biological, that humans draw comfort from familiarity and fear the unknown. I do not profess to be a psychology major. But one thing I can attest to, I have always hated change. And I feel like UFC 88 was a tidal wave of change.

Zuffa purchased the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2000. In 2001 they started to get the sport regulated. Since that time, the first crop of up-and-coming fighters had ascended to the top of the heap in the sport. The names are now synonymous with the UFC. Hughes. Franklin. Liddell. Sure, as a hardcore fan there are many more names that you associate with that time in the sport, arguable more talented and better names. But to the casual fan, the fan-base that truly pays the bills around this sport, those names define MMA. And now they define an era of MMA.

They will forever be tied to that epoch of MMA. In my opinion they are the symbol of a golden age of the UFC, if not the sport as a whole in the United States. They were the flag bearers of American wrestling to the sport, responsible for wrestling converting from little known sport to legitimate building block of martial arts. Some used their wrestling to dominate their opponents on the ground, some used their wrestling to allow them to dominate their opponents on the feet. All became champions as a result.

All were the best in their respective divisions at what they did and how they did it. The first rock stars of the sport, They were trailblazers as well as role models to some of today’s current stars. They set the examples with their charisma and approachability, paving the way for the current explosion of the sport.

Is their decline caused by age or an unwillingness to continue evolving with an ever-changing sport? The popular answer is a little of both. Stopping the deterioration of age is a puzzle that we may never solve, and it is a combat sport fighter’s greatest enemy. And observing the decline of our elected MMA icons can be bitter sweet.

Some fans will always look forward, ever changing their focus from older staple to burgeoning contender without missing a beat. Some fans will let their memories linger on what once was and how it will never be the same again. Categorize myself in the latter grouping, even though I know deep down that all good things come to an end.

I don’t think my trepidation is centered around fear of the unknown. I know I will grow to enjoy and appreciate the next class of champions. At the end of the day, I am a fan of the sport, not of any one fighter. But I think my love of the sport and the fantastic moments and memories that seduced me are attached to those faces. Will the new guard supply us with great moments? Absolutely. They have already started. But the fact that most of my moments include those fighters, and may no longer do so, is a sad revelation for me. Memories will carry me through, and moments created by the new guard will make me eventually forget my sadness and move forward to make great new memories. But I will always appreciate and never forget the moments and the feelings that these great fighters have supplied and provided me.

Are these fighters finished or retired? By no means. But I cannot escape the feeling that things will never be the same, and that is sad to me, if only for a moment.