Matt Hughes Fans Should Be Encouraged
by Luke Thomas on May 20, 2009 9:11 AM EDT
in MMA News
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“I’ve switched things up a little bit,” he says. “I went to a lot of training camps, went out a lot to different places and didn’t stay home near as much.”
One of those outside camps visited by Hughes (42-7) was Greg Nelson’s Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, home to former and current UFC champions Sean Sherk, Dave Menne and Brock Lesnar.
“We just basically got him into the fold of our training camp, and we all worked together,” Nelson says. “We have Sean training for Frankie Edgar. We have Brock Larson training for his fight the same weekend. [Hughes is] kind of the king of the hill at his own school, so it’s nice to come to another spot where they have a lot of guys who are high-level grapplers and high-level fighters that could put him in jeopardy and push him. And we worked on all the same stuff: punching to takedowns, submissions on the ground, full-on grappling, sparring, the whole ball of wax.”
As an aging fighter heading into a bout where there is both bragging rights and to a lesser extent legacy issues on the line, Hughes is wise to deviate from a potentially stale path he could fall into doing a rinse and repeat camp at H.I.T. Squad. The upside to training at MMAA is significant for any fighter, but for Hughes it provides some clear insurance in terms of establishing good cardiovascular fitness, getting the right kind and enough of the right training partner as well as pre-fight strategy under the eye of masterful tacticians. Greg Jackson appropriately receives accolades for his strategizing, but he does not have a monopoly on how to game plan for fights in professional MMA. Nelson is quite adept as well and by the sound of it, Hughes is going to stick to his strengths while making the slight adjustments necessary to handle the eccentricities of Serra's attacks:
“What you have to watch out for with Matt [Serra], more than anything, is that when he’s up on his feet, he holds nothing back,” Nelson says. “When he throws a punch, he’s going for it. It may not be pretty, but if it lands, you’re going to be in trouble. A lot of times, people always train for the guy who’s throwing the nice, straight punches and the pretty boxing, but what do you usually get hit by? The crazy shot that comes flying out of nowhere. I watched a lot of Matt Serra and kind of imitated the way he throws his punches and kind of threw wild shots at [Hughes], as well as clean shots.”
I certainly do not doubt Serra's camp is rigorous and the strategy meticulous, but I've yet to see evidence he's being immersed in the bubbling cauldron of fight camp similar to what Hughes is receiving at MMAA.
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wasnt hughes giving serra a hard time for using “too much profanity”? nice music choice in the video.
also, i read a quote from pete sell last week saying he and serra were already out in vegas, getting ready for the fight. any idea who he’s training with out there? i was thinking maybe couture, considering his prediction for the fight.
that was MMAA video, in his blog/website he actually tells his fans to mute the video
by TheConcreteKid on May 20, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
This is good to hear. I was a little worried that only training at H.I.T. squad would have a negative affect on Hughes’ capabilities.
It seems to be a growing trend in MMA that once a fighter gets successful enough to open their own gym
their skill tend to decline.
Likely because of the king of the hill effect, but also probably from the distraction of running a business at the same time.
by Razreshat on May 20, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Good for Hughes! I love it when guys really want it and break out of the norm. I was kinda hoping to hear Forrest would do this for Silva as well. maybe get some training with GSP and Co.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
Haha this is a crazy contrast to the training Serras been doing. Well, at least what was shown on his vlog. Kinda like GSP vs BJ. GSP/Hughes training like caveman and BJ/Serra with the reg training.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
haha yeah in Serras 2 minute video he devoted like 45 seconds to show hilmself skipping to the right… and then to the left… and then skipping forward to hit the pads twice…. and then repeat
by TheConcreteKid on May 20, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Seems in good shape but this shouldn’t be an easy fight for him. With Serra’s hands being improved and his grappling could cause some problems. If Hughes wasn’t as weathered I would be more confident but he has a lot of wear and tear.
by toughaintenough on May 20, 2009 10:12 AM EDT reply actions
I wouldn’t say Hughes has a lot of wear and tear. Look at Nog, Wandy, or even Goodridge for that.
OK Goodridge has been hit by multiple trains but you know what I mean.
He hasn’t received damage like those guys, not like Goodridge, good god no. With 50 fights and counting wear and tear seems appropriate to me though. As Arlovski would say “he’s human.”
by toughaintenough on May 20, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I also think that his biggest advantage – his strength – just tends not to count for as much now that fighters are almost all full time athletes who cut down from much higher weights than in the past. Shouldn’t be as much of an issue against Serra, though, who is still a relatively small WW.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
This ...
… plus Serra’s lack of aggressive Jits has this New Yohkuh sadly leaning towards the Country Breakfast.
Country Breakfast is an awesome nickname.
Yeah, who got the final Death Blow? 'Cause I thought that Hawaiian guy had it comin' to him. - C. K.
by monkeyfightclub! on May 20, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
I think of caveman training as, “possibly as effective as regular training, but with an added risk of injury!” Yay?
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones
Yeah, doing cardio on the Airdyne and doing pummelling drills seems quite dangerous. Those guys in Minnesota are doing something right, as their cardio has been top notch, as is their strength/power/explosiveness.
by Hardcharger on May 20, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you know what I meant.
Did you watch the idiots on TUF last week clobbering themselves with the sledgehammer while trying to hit a truck tire?
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones
That was amateur hour, a bunch of idiots with a sledge. We’re talking veterans who are pushing themselves to new levels by using organic training methods.
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
Oh, that’s true. But the first time anybody flips a monster truck tire they’re an amateur. And the reason we have the standard strength/conditioning methods in use isn’t just that they work – it’s that they’re relatively safe.
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones
Grappler vs. Grappler= Sloppy Kickboxing bout?
I really hope that Hughes doesn’t try and stand and trade with Serra, that would be stupid.
i can’t say that i’m that impressed. hughes cardio never seemed in question in his recent losses, it was his inability to evolve, if he is actually capable of evolving. it’s nice to see that he is switching things up and training with tougher guys, but what is he learning that’s new? in recent interviews he says that he wants rematches with alves and or gsp saying “those fights didn’t go they way i wanted them to” (if he wasn’t ready for gsp by their 3rd fight, he never will be). of course they didn’t, these new crop of fighters are alot better, alot more well rounded than the guys he used to just pick up, slam and overpower. thats what i dont think he seems to get, he got beat by better fighters, not because “something went wrong”. still it might be enough to get past serra (we’ll see), but as soon as he gets in with a fitch, or a koscheck or even someone like mclovin, he’ll realize that he is no longer a top contender.
ps. don’t forget, jens pulver left iowa for matt hume in seattle and was supposed to “new and improved”. how’d that work out? :-)
I agree with most of your points, but I think Pulver is a bad correlate. I hasn’t actually had any consistent training of length with Hume; the training for his last fight was so disrupted that he never even got there. I think there’s more of an issue with Hughes choosing another place to train known for it’s powerful wrestlers with good cardio… which is what he already was. We’ll see if it makes a difference.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
I'm not a big fan of either guy....
But to address your evolving point, I was more impressed that he decided to attend a bunch of different camps to mix things up. I know he won’t see huge strides in being a more well rounded fighter, but perhaps that has helped him a bit.
I am really surprised at how much credit people are giving to Serra’s hands in the wake up a lucky strike against GSP. In the followup match, he showed he can’t pull that off reliably. I think Serra is more likely to pull off a submission, like a triangle from the bottom, that knock Hughes out standing.
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
I honestly assumed that most guys who fight at this top level all train hard like this. I mean it’s all they do.
Training with Sherk AND Lesnar? I got an idea how Hughes is going to “enhance” his “performance.”
It’s a steroid joke, you see.
One of those three guys has tested positive, and it’s Sean Sherk. The other two have clean drug records.
by Derek Suboticki on May 20, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh relax.
I’m allowed to make jokes. But if you want to tell me that A) Passing a piss test means you are clean, and B) Brock Lesnar has never done steroids (even while working in the WWE)…then I got nothing I can say to you about the subject.
There is no evidence that Brock Lesnar has ever done steroids. His head was that big when he was 17.
by Derek Suboticki on May 20, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
BJ should take a note out of Hughes book and go train with guys that are just going to suck up to him.
DUDE – BJ should go train with Sherk, but then they could get into all kinds of wacky crime-solving adventures! We’d call it “BJ and the Shark!”
Of course, it’d be better if it were set in Hawaii…
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones
“Hawaii 1-55” perhaps?
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on May 21, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sherk and Locken's mask are completely blacked out...
So is it safe to say Hughes is afraid of the dark?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......
As an aging fighter heading into a bout where there is both bragging rights and to a lesser extent legacy issues on the line, Hughes is wise to deviate from a potentially stale path he could fall into doing a rinse and repeat camp at H.I.T. Squad.
I think I read this same sentence last month, with the word “Hughes” replaced with “Liddell” and “H.I.T. Squad” replaced with “The Pit”. We all know how that one turned out.
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