You don’t need to be a UFC expert to know Matt Hughes. Turn your pages back to 1999-2006 and you are unlikely to find the word welterweight without a mention of Hughes. Making his debut in UFC 22, he exploded into the scene with a unanimous decision over Valeri Ignatov. He then lost the belt in UFC 29, only to reclaim it in UFC 38, this time from the hands of Carlos Newton. Hughes lifted the then-champion up off the canvas and held him against the fence before viciously dropping him to unconsciousness. The four-time All American wrestler then went on to defend his title an unprecedented six consecutive times before falling to BJ Penn at UFC 46. After reclaiming the belt following a Penn suspension, he went on to defend it another five consecutive times throughout a stretch of six wins over significant names such as Frank Trigg, GSP, Royce Gracie, and BJ Penn.

    However, the 34 year-old has not been performing to the high standards set forth by his prior accomplishments in the octagon. His 43-6 record, although impressive, highlights this pattern; three of six career losses come from his last 4 bouts. Granted, it may be too soon to cast doubt given an extraordinary GSP takes credit for two of them. Still, those fans who were expecting, perhaps hoping, for an indication of redemption, a glimpse of the old Hughes, were undoubtedly disappointed in the O2 arena in London. Hughes’ gameplan was to take down a dangerous Muay Thai striker in Thiago Alves. However, his wrestling seemed dull compared to that during his prime when he was lifting up and slamming his opponents almost at will. His takedowns, arguably his greatest strength, only slightly resembled those in the past; he took sluggish shots which were shrugged off by an opponent with a recently sprained ankle. Even when he did finally obtain a dominant position over Alves, he was not able to inflict damage with his signature ground-and-pound, perhaps less than that inflicted by Alves in a shorter period of time. The Illinois-native went on to lose after receiving a knee to the jaw, which proved to be the beginning of the end, as Alves quickly ceased the opportunity and forced referee Herb Dean to call a stop to the fight a little over a minute into the second round.

    Ultimately, Hughes does not represent the same threat he once did. His strength does not provide a decisive advantage like it did in the past. And his, once effortless, takedowns have faded into hard earned battles for position (when he does succeed). Is the “Greatest Welterweight Champion of All Time” no longer a serious threat to the young guns in the sport? Has his speed and strength faded with age? Or is MMA a different sport today, now dominated by a new breed of fighter, stronger and faster than in the past? It’s difficult to say for sure, but my guess is a little bit of both. He even hinted the end is near, as he expressed desire to take on arch rival Matt Serra before putting the gloves away for good. Still, whether he fights a few more or gracefully bows out after an encounter with Serra, the UFC and especially the fans will never forget his contribution to the octagon, the welterweight division, and most importantly, mixed martial arts in general.