UFC 98 Results: Matt Hughes Takes Unanimous Decision Over Matt Serra to Settle Their Feud

by Kid Nate on May 24, 2009 12:07 AM EDT in News Comment 31 comments

In a back-and-forth bout that featured dominating moments by both fighters, former UFC champion Matt Hughes held on to take a unanimous decision over heated rival Matt Serra.

In the first round, Serra dropped Hughes with what appeared to be a headbutt and a punch to the back of the head but was unable to finish. Hughes was able to score a takedown and nearly got a rear naked choke to steal the round.

In the second, Hughes got a takedown and worked his ground and pound game. Jiu jitsu specialist Serra was unable to get much going from his back, giving away the round even though he took little damage on the bottom.

In the third, Hughes continued to fight from a southpaw stance during the standing portions -- a traditional stance for a right handed wrestler, leading with his power leg. He managed to get a takedown and avoided multiple omaplata attempts from Serra. At the end of the fight, Serra gave his fans a ray of hope scoring a takedown of his own and working for a kimura. But it was too little too late as Hughes took home the decision.

Both fighters hugged and shook hands after the match, putting the heated rivalry that began when they both coached The Ultimate Fighter in 2007.

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Both fighters hugged and shook hands after the match, putting the heated rivalry that began when they both coached The Ultimate Fighter in 2007.

Need to finish your sentence Nate.

by ufc4 on May 24, 2009 1:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I really can’t wrap my head around the fact that it was a unanimous decision. He rocked Hughes, took absolutely no damage from him, and in the last round (deciding round), he matched Hughe’s 1 takedown. Niether of them stood out 100% as a decisive winner. However, Serra pressed the action more, landed more, and Hughes’ only guard pass was when Serra basically gave it to him. Hughes did not improve his position on the ground and his boxing against a guy who gave him a world of reach… Stunk. Give it to Hughes, fine. But unanimous?? Really?? It’s decisions like that that make people question the judging ability of some. Thank god I dont do this for a living, I would be livid.

by beersnbroads on May 24, 2009 1:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Serra was just too willing to play the guard game

by drano on May 24, 2009 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

All an unanimous decision means is that the three judges scored for the same winner, it tells you nothing about how close the fight was. All three scored it 29-28.

by who me on May 24, 2009 2:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If by "rocked" you mean "headbutted"

A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who

by thetakeover on May 24, 2009 2:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if by "headbutted" you mean "accidental collision of heads"

by mythbuster on May 24, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Serra was robbed he won the first and third rounds, this reminds me of the Kampman and Condit decision which also left me saying what the fuck?.

by Raker on May 24, 2009 1:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt Hughes needs to go retire. I’m tired of him dry-humping people for three rounds and getting a victory when he shouldn’t have. That fight, and the Sonnen fight, should have been stood up so many times that it was ridiculous. I can’t stand how these referees just let these wrestlers sit in half-guard or guard and just do nothing but lay there with minimal effort to improve position or land anything of note. It makes people get turned off from MMA. They really need to enforce standups more often than they do right now.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

by FlyByKnight on May 24, 2009 1:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sonnen was messing Miller up continously. Hughes on the other hand did nothing. Damage wise, Matt Serra was the clear cut winner. I had it 29-28 his way.

by SamCupitt on May 24, 2009 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sonnen did a little more but I started to fall asleep big time during that fight. I think I just don’t like his style as a whole. I’ve seen guys like Henderson, Couture, Hughes, and others just use their wrestling to hold guys down for the duration of the entire round but yet do nothing to improve position and they’d rather just ride out the time dry-humping their opponent while inflicting no damage whatsoever upon their opponent. I just cannot stand it anymore. It’s the same crap Hughes did in the first round against Alves, the same crap Henderson did in the first round against (Anderson) Silva, and it’s the same crap Couture did against Sylvia. I guess I’m just up to my neck at this point. And the fact that it won Fight of the Night (Serra-Hughes) is quite a disgrace.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

by FlyByKnight on May 24, 2009 6:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

In John McCarthy’s defense, he said that the reason he didn’t stand up Couture/Sylvia in the 1st was because Couture was in a completely advantageous position by having Tim’s back.

Had he been in Sylvia’s guard, a position considering pretty neutral on the ground, there’d been a stand-up.

by Sergio Hernandez on May 24, 2009 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I had serra ahead in that fight. Hughes was rocked in Rd. 1 and IMO thats more significant than the takedown and sub attempt . Rd. 2 was clearly Hughes round but he didn’t really do much from the top. It probably should have been stood up alot earlier. Rd. 3 was close but i’d give it to serra for being more active.

by asmiley420 on May 24, 2009 1:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hughes was rocked by an illegal head shot. You wanna give him points for an illegal strike?

by Charger567 on May 24, 2009 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

By “illegal headstrike” you mean “accidental collision of heads”?

by mythbuster on May 24, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Man, it was nice seeing Matt get a chance to get back at Matt for all that smack-talk. I just wish Matt had done more damage to Matt. And vice versa.

Next up in the “I couldn’t be happier to see either guy lose” series, somebody please schedule Machida/Lesnar. :-)

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on May 24, 2009 1:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fucking terrible decision.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on May 24, 2009 1:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

future of Matt and Matt?

Lets see the Matt trilogy!

by Bandaka on May 24, 2009 1:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Am I the only one who thought this was a good decision?

Hughers clearly won the fight on takedowns and control. Serra had no offense from the guard. Serra’s first round “rocking” of Hughes was a headbutt. I am no fan of Hughes’ personality, but we can’t let our opinions of a fighter get in the way of an honest evaluation of the fight.

A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who

by thetakeover on May 24, 2009 2:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My arguments, and the arguments of everyone who agreed with me were based solely on aspects of the fight that should have been awarded points. Don't reverse-discriminate either bro

by beersnbroads on May 24, 2009 3:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the fight could have gone to either fighter, but the only time Hughes was really hurt was the headbutt. I leaned towards the midwestern dickhead instead of the NY dickhead.

by Riney on May 24, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

racist!

by mythbuster on May 24, 2009 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, you're not the only one.

Hughes may not have done much to win the fight, but Serra did even less.

by Sergio Non on May 25, 2009 2:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Simple Explanation

Plain and simple, don’t let it go to the judges. Everyone who is anyone in MMA will tell you that. Any way you slice it, Serra didn’t win the fight. If you have to “win” a fight with points, you’ve already lost. Goes for both fighters in a match.

by CA76 on May 24, 2009 3:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

by mythbuster on May 24, 2009 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

good decision

First of all, had It not been for the illegal headbutt that hurt Hughes he would have easily won the first round. Had the ref seen it and given Hughes a break to recover he would have won 30-27. Then Hughes went on to control the rest of the fight. He won Fair and square, get over it!

by moopwontplay on May 24, 2009 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

he did no damage really from the top,...

In the second he layed and prayed… In the first he was easilly as much to blame for the head butt, and even at that point he got hit also… and in the third serra controlled Hughes from the bottom, and matched his only takedown with a throw, and did more damage from the top… Stop being bias towards control, if your not going to give Serra points for his…

by Loot on May 24, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Well said. Thats my point. People like to say Hughes was controlling Serra coz he was on top, but Serra was controlling Hughes by threatening with the omoplatas and triangle. The first 4mins of round 3 a toss up as Serra was more aggressive but Hughes got the takedown. Serra getting his own takedown followed up by his aggressive striking won him the round and the fight imo.

by GeeDub on May 24, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They don’t score for control to the guy on the bottom they consider the guy on top to be in control. Regardless of what any of us think about what was happening (I agree that Serra was more active) they always score in favor of the guy on top because on top is the control position. There could be an arguement that they need to change their scoring criteria or get more knowlegeable judges but as things stand right now they are going to score for the guy on top.

by who me on May 24, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

By “illegal headbutt” do you mean “accidental collision of heads”?

by mythbuster on May 24, 2009 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clarification...

From the looks of it, Serra was definitely going for the Gogoplata not an Omoplata. His other leg was being controlled by Hughes, making an Omoplata impossible.

by JacRabbit on May 24, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

From the little BJJ I know

Serra was trying moves from his back, and Hughes was defending them. Each time it looked like Hughes escaped one, Serra was trying another. As I was told when I started learning BJJ, you dont have to be on top to be in control.

Im a Hughes fan, and was rooting for him; but thought Serra won the fight.

by ryanwk628 on May 25, 2009 9:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs