Dan Barrera: Other Guys Got Injured in Matt Hughes’ Practices - Fight Forum - MMA - UFC - Boxing - K1

GeorgeXVX · 11-12-2007, 11:51 AM

Dan Barrera: Other Guys Got Injured in Matt Hughes’ Practices
Posted by MMA Junkie on November 12, 2007 at 10:16 am ET

Dan BarreraDan Barrera, a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra” who suffered a hand injury just days before his fight, says he wasn’t the only fighter to suffer an injury during Matt Hughes’ intense training sessions.

Barrera discussed the injuries with Adam Morgan at fiveouncesofpain.com.

As many MMAjunkie.com readers know, Barrera was the only cast member we didn’t get to interview for our weekly “Ten TUF Questions” feature. However, Morgan has a great interview with the fighter that answers all our questions.

In the interview, Barrera confirms that the hand injury likely happened during a tough training session with Hughes — and that he wasn’t the only fighter to get injured. He also mentioned a neck injury suffered by teammate Billy Miles.

“Our practices were basically just gut checks every day,” Barrera said. “I can’t compare it to anything else I’ve ever done in my life. If you missed practice, everybody showed up early, everybody stayed, and they took their lickin’s, man. They didn’t show a lot of it, but they were pretty tough rundown practices.“

Barrera also discussed how the hand injury affected his fight with Ben Saunders in the season’s sixth episode. Barrera dropped his opponent early in the fight, but he took a lot of criticism when he didn’t follow up immediately afterward. Saunders rebounded to win the fight. However, according to Barrera, he thought he suffered a broken hand from the punch.

“After I threw that right and knocked him down and he had a broken nose, I thought that I broke my hand to tell you the truth… I felt like I seriously broke my hand,” Barrera said. “I just got a shot of pain all the way up to my spine and I just kind of hesitated for a second… If you’ve got that much adrenaline pumping and you feel that pain, then that’s not good because usually you don’t feel your injuries until the next morning because you’re so juiced up on adrenaline.“

Barrera also discusses his wife (everything is fine), his infamous bathroom shadow-boxing sessions (they were exaggerated), and the job he gave up at the firefighter department (they never did give it back to him).

Head over to fiveouncesofpain.com for the full interview (it’s a great one).

Seams to be Hughes pushed some of his guys a little to hard. Go figure people brought on a show to train to fight for the UFC and be the best are complaining about getting world class training and being pushed... I actually broke my hand in three places training and it wasnt that intense of a session. I have broken figures, toes, ****ed up my knee, and arm. YOU ARE FIGHTING this **** happens. Does it suck.... yes.... but you deal with it. This is like season one where they were all complaining about having to run 8 miles. Really makes me wonder what their training was like at home and if they even deserved to be on this show.

Ring_Raider_07 · 11-12-2007, 02:40 PM

I agree. We had people like that at basic and I hate that crap.

T-Bone · 11-12-2007, 03:53 PM

Yeah, injuries definitely happen throughout the course of intense training. These guys aren't very experienced so as a result...you can really wonder why things didn't go exactly as planned during the fight when you send out guys with broken body parts.

lambo84 · 11-12-2007, 06:20 PM

Dont forget that Hughes has come from the MFS camp where they train extremely hard. I saw an ESPN special on MFS that they did and it was crazy how hard they trained. They said most guys that go to train there dont last the first day. I'm sure Hughes has brought a bit of that intensity to TUF.

JoeRoganismyhero · 11-14-2007, 08:49 AM

Yeah on E:60 one of the IFL guys that trains at Miletich said that we have guys come in here on Monday, real tough guys that are built and look mean...and by Wednesday they are gone!"

theEmpiric · 11-14-2007, 09:02 AM

Really intense training is great for getting your body/soul toughened up, so that you are used to that kind of treatment. Similar to beating your shins with bamboo.

However, on a reality tv show that is only 6 weeks long.... notsomuch. These guys needed good appliable quick training, not long "make ya a man" training.

WarDawg · 11-15-2007, 09:30 AM

After watching Hughes training them guys.... He ain't a WORLD CLASS TRAINER. He actually sucks at it. Not talking about his fighting. But Hughes is WEAK as a guy to train you. He just don't got it. I'll pass. WarDawg

LABJJ · 11-16-2007, 11:34 AM

A question you have to ask. Was the intense training punishment for losing or valid training. The show and the comments of the fighters make it look and sound like its punishment and not as much as training to make the guys better. I could be mistaken and it could have been spun this way on the show.