UFC HoF should call Hughes - Fight Forum - MMA - UFC - Boxing - K1

theEmpiric · 12-06-2007, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Matt Hughes sat ringside at an Ultimate Fight Night show at the Palms Hotel & Casino and stared at the ground. He was in the midst of taping Season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter, a task he clearly was not enjoying.

He knew he wouldn't enjoy the job. In 2005, he served as a coach in Season 2 of the UFC's uber-successful reality series.

He didn't enjoy it then and knew that nothing that had transpired in the interim two years would make him enjoy Season 6 any more.

But he did it, as he has done pretty much everything the UFC management has needed him to do over the last six years.

And for that, on Saturday, UFC president Dana White should ensure that Hughes never forgets his final night as a part of The Ultimate Fighter.

White should announce to the crowd at the Palms that he's making Hughes the fifth choice for the UFC's Hall of Fame.

The UFC has already inducted Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie into its Hall of Fame. All four have fought within the last 14 months, the 53-year-old Severn as recently as three weeks ago.

It's not as if there isn't precedence for naming active fighters.

And no one can argue that Hughes isn't deserving. He's arguably the most successful fighter of the Zuffa Era of the UFC, when White and the Fertitta brothers have owned the company and moved it inexorably toward mainstream acceptance.

He's had two stints as the UFC's welterweight champion and has run up a 9-2 record in title fights while taking on the finest mixed martial artists of his era.

But even more significant than his exploits in the cage are his actions outside of it. Thanks to Hughes, UFC 79 will be the company's biggest event of the year.

When Matt Serra, Hughes' antagonist and opposite number on The Ultimate Fighter, herniated two discs in his back just prior to Thanksgiving, it could have had a significantly deleterious impact upon what the UFC was hoping would be a momentum-building card.

For all the talk at the end of 2006 that the UFC had surpassed boxing, it's sobering to note that in 2007, welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will likely gross more in pay-per-view revenue in his two fights than the UFC will all year from its.

The UFC has tried to make its New Year's Eve weekend card one of its most special, but it would have lost a lot had Hughes opted not to fight after Serra had to pull out.

It would have been hard to blame him. He's 34, has fought 46 times and is a lot closer to the end of his career than anyone over on Sahara Avenue dares to think about.

The title fight was extremely important to him, as was simply getting a win over a top-level competitor.

But when White, in attempting to salvage the card, offered him Georges St. Pierre, it would have been easy for Hughes to decline. He'd trained for Serra – or, at least he had the excuse, had he wanted to use it – and St. Pierre offered a completely different set of problems.

Hughes, though, never hesitated. He accepted and the card not only remained on, it increased in luster.

"Obviously, it was brutal news over Thanksgiving weekend that Matt Serra was injured and could not fight Matt Hughes," White said. "We didn't know what we were going to do. Thank God that that's not only the way that this sport is, but the athletes are amazing human beings. Georges St. Pierre steps up and takes the fight and Matt Hughes accepts the fight.

"If this was boxing, this fight would have been cancelled and we would have had to make the Hughes-Serra fight later. I have nothing but respect for these two for stepping up to the plate and accepting this fight."

It's what Hughes has consistently done since he became a full-time UFC fighter in 2001. Hughes, along with light heavyweight Chuck Liddell, has been the company's most loyal soldier and one of its elite fighters.

It's kind of become the hip thing in MMA circles to dog Hughes. Serra repeatedly referred to Hughes by using a crude slang word for a male body part during the filming of TUF 6. Other fighters, including Joe Riggs, have spoken similarly of Hughes.

Maybe they have justification for their anger, though Hughes says he's mystified about Serra's reaction toward him.

But Hughes has consistently set a high standard in the way he's conducted himself publicly, for his willingness to fight all comers and to tackle any challenge that would help promote the sport.

He could simply have passed on fighting at UFC 79 and thus greatly weakened the card. He could have asked to fight someone like Jon Fitch or Diego Sanchez, bouts that wouldn't have had the market appeal that the one with St. Pierre would.

He made the right decision by taking St. Pierre, but it was the way he came to that decision that makes Hughes special.

"I had a big decision and, finally, I just kind of said, 'What's good for me? What's good for the UFC? What's good for the people watching the sport?' " Hughes said. "And it was easy. Georges was it."

And it should be equally as easy for White to make the call that now is the time to announce that Hughes is heading to the UFC Hall of Fame. He deserves the chance to walk to the cage and have the crowd welcome him as a Hall of Famer.

There are few who have been as integral to the growth of MMA and the UFC as Matt Hughes.

He deserves to be recognized for that on Saturday in the most special way possible.

UFC Hall should call Hughes - MMA - Yahoo! Sports

Interesting note about the PPV sales of Boxing vs UFC.

Also, I wish Fedor and Randy would have asked themselves that same question I bolded in the article.

Thanks MATT AND GSP for stepping up on short notice! It's nice to know some fighters still have their fans (the ppl that generate their income) interests at heart. It would be well deserved for Matt to get inducted to the HoF, although I dont know about on Saturday.

Crashsti · 12-06-2007, 09:04 AM

Hughes's accomplishments in the cage speak for themself. He easily deserves to be in the UFC Hall of Fame.

BossMadOne · 12-06-2007, 09:26 AM

Some like to put him down but thats only because you can not deny Hughes is and will all ways be the best UFC 170ibs champion, years from now when we are old and people our age are watching MMA, Matt Hughes will still be called the greatest champion. 9 times... thats ****ing amazing..

T-Bone · 12-06-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossMadOne

Some like to put him down but thats only because you can not deny Hughes is and will all ways be the best UFC 170ibs champion, years from now when we are old and people our age are watching MMA, Matt Hughes will still be called the greatest champion. 9 times... thats ****ing amazing..

I don't think that's why people put him down.

Of course he's HOF material. After all, he's the only guy to win the belt while unconscious.

Empiric - what you bolded is pretty telling about promotion...For all the talk at the end of 2006 that the UFC had surpassed boxing, it's sobering to note that in 2007, welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will likely gross more in pay-per-view revenue in his two fights than the UFC will all year from its.

mxfuel · 12-06-2007, 09:32 AM

Sounds good to me. He deserves it. Hope he will still fight Serra some time next year.

Switch · 12-06-2007, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossMadOne

Some like to put him down but thats only because you can not deny Hughes is and will all ways be the best UFC 170ibs champion, years from now when we are old and people our age are watching MMA, Matt Hughes will still be called the greatest champion. 9 times... thats ****ing amazing..

I agree Hughes is a great fighter who has done some phenomenal things and think he is a no brainer for a spot in the Hall of Fame. But to say that he will always be the best UFC 170lb is a bit of a stretch. I am sure that someone will match or surpass that great feat in the future. MMA is only going to grow in popularity which I believe will result in fighter beginning at a younger age, and that they will have a more complete game as a result. Look at other sports and the feats that have been passed in the last 5 years. I wonder if in the future his achievement is bypassed how will he react. I just don't see him having the class of say a Hank Aarron that congratualted the person who bypassed his record even though there was much controversy surrounding that feat.

Crashsti · 12-06-2007, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switch

I agree Hughes is a great fighter who has done some phenomenal things and think he is a no brainer for a spot in the Hall of Fame. But to say that he will always be the best UFC 170lb is a bit of a stretch. I am sure that someone will match or surpass that great feat in the future. MMA is only going to grow in popularity which I believe will result in fighter beginning at a younger age, and that they will have a more complete game as a result. Look at other sports and the feats that have been passed in the last 5 years. I wonder if in the future his achievement is bypassed how will he react. I just don't see him having the class of say a Hank Aarron that congratualted the person who bypassed his record even though there was much controversy surrounding that feat.

i don't know if any other fighter will match Hughes's record for title defenses. The level of skill and conditioning has gone through the roof in recent years. During Matt's reign of terror he was the best of the best. These days he's no slouch but the competition is closing in on him. He is no longer miles ahead of everyone. GSP destroyed him in thier rematch and appeared to be building his own legacy until Serra knocked him stupid. I just don't see anyone being able to dominate the competition the way Matt has. The fighters today are just too good at everything.

Cuts O Meat · 12-06-2007, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEmpiric

Also, I wish Fedor and Randy would have asked themselves that same question I bolded in the article.

I also wish Dana would ask himself that very question.

basslogic4003 · 12-06-2007, 10:20 AM

I didn't know Tony Starks wrote for yahoo sports

HaVoK · 12-06-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basslogic4003

I didn't know Tony Starks wrote for yahoo sports

Mwhahaha!

fullonshred · 12-06-2007, 12:13 PM

Couldn't agree more. Matt Hughes is definitely UFC Hall of Fame Status anyway - just go ahead and make it official.

bayouboy · 12-06-2007, 12:24 PM

I'm not sure where I stand on this.

Drexal · 12-06-2007, 12:31 PM

I'm not a fan of Matt Hughes the person, but I'm a big fan of Matt Hughes the fighter and he definitely deserves a place in the HoF.

Kudos to him and Georges for stepping up and making the fight happen at short notice.

Should be a great rematch! Go GSP!

It could be worse. · 12-06-2007, 01:30 PM

I'd like to see it happen, early in the event. Have a fight or two, announce Hughes' inclusion into the Hall of Fame. Hughes definitely deserves to be there, no question about that. St. Pierre has a good chance to beat him here, and I would like to see Hughes come down to the cage as a winning hall-of-famer at least once. Guy definitely deserves his respect.

I think that as the champions improve, the contenders will as well. Everyone is getting so good that multiple title defenses may become fewer and farther between. I think Hughes' obscene title reign will remain untouched for a minute.

theEmpiric · 12-06-2007, 02:05 PM

Would you guys rather see him be iducted when he retires, or while he is still fighting?

T-Bone · 12-06-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEmpiric

Would you guys rather see him be iducted when he retires, or while he is still fighting?

After December 29th...I mean after he retires.

I'm just used to that option...with baseball and all.

ramcalgary · 12-06-2007, 02:49 PM

way too early for a HoF yet......has not been around long enough...

the sport is way to young for a hall of fame

StratTone · 12-06-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEmpiric

UFC Hall should call Hughes - MMA - Yahoo! Sports

Interesting note about the PPV sales of Boxing vs UFC.

Also, I wish Fedor and Randy would have asked themselves that same question I bolded in the article.

Thanks MATT AND GSP for stepping up on short notice! It's nice to know some fighters still have their fans (the ppl that generate their income) interests at heart. It would be well deserved for Matt to get inducted to the HoF, although I dont know about on Saturday.

I agree with you totally. I wish more people thought like GSP and Matt. Matt isn't my favorite but he is all about the sport.

MTK · 12-09-2007, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramcalgary

way too early for a HoF yet......has not been around long enough...

the sport is way to young for a hall of fame

The UFC has a Hall of Fame. It includes Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and Randy Couture. It should soon include Big John McCarthy.

Mickey Finn · 12-09-2007, 10:31 PM

no matter how much you dont like the guy, i think it would be hard for you to argue against him being inducted