Unlike my grandson Cody, I have never been a Matt Hughes fan. This has caused many clashes over the years between grandmother and grandson, both watching Pay Per Views together, but cheering for different fighters. It did make shopping for gifts for Cody easy: anything from Matt Hughes' store, especially if autographed for $20,00 extra was sure to be a favorite.
Never mind the fact that Hughes had promised to attend a wrestling tournament in small town Clinton, Illinois, but failed to show. He was quickly forgiven for that by the earnest young wrestlers who adored him; although Grandma still had to bid on Hughes' autographed tee shirts in spite of her displeasure with the "no show" which the kids had suffered in stoic silence.
Then during UFC TUF 4 "The Comeback" when Matt Hughes came on the show as a "guest coach" and made rude comments towards Grandma's favorite fighter Georges St. Pierre, it did show a petty side of Hughes of which Cody had not been aware.
Thank heaven for the outspoken Matt Serra whose defence of GSP brought him up very highly in the Willis's family's estimation, making him their season favorite. And what a predicament that presented when through fate, GSP and Matt Serra became opponents after the show's finale when Georges beat Hughes and became the Welterweight champion. If only a Hughes v Serra fight could have occurred first!
Naturally, this was not to be and when Serra "shocked the world" by defeating Georges, another set of circumstances, including an injury to Serra's back put GSP and Hughes back in contention for an "interim belt."
The second meeting of Serra v St. Pierre ended favorably for Georges and made him an instant hero in his hometown of Montreal Quebec, Canada. where the event was held.
Each time St. Pierre beat Hughes he had been very generous in praising Hughes for his strength and wrestling ability. So when Hughes stepped in to meet Thigo Alves ( replacing an injured Chuck Liddell ) as headliner in the London venue UFC 85, he may truly have believed Georges' complements, overestimating his own capabilities. While watching Matt face off with Thiago "a youngster" with superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, he looked pathetically old, slow and much less of a force than his record in the UFC would indicate.
Hughes looked pale with exhaustion when he faced off with Alves at the beginning of the second round. He had given away his intention to shoot for a takedown and even I as a sixty-two year old non-fighter knew exactly what was about to happen as he took a wicked knee to the head, sprawling backwards on the mat.
Only the sick way that Hughes fell with his left knee out of alignment was a complete surprise. Well, that and the fact Hughes wasn't carried out of the octagon and somehow "gimped" out on his own power. That may be the only exemplary moment Hughes displayed in his fight with Alves.
Yet Hughes has apparently forgotten his own foibles and failings in his last fight. Of all things he chose to be critical of Georges' five round title fight with Jon Fitch which, though it went the distance, resulted in perfect scores for Georges and a unanimous decision. Since then Hughes stated that Georges "looked smaller" to him and the fight "not being exciting," prompted Huges to leave during the third round "to beat the rush;" which was ludicrous at best, and sour grapes at worse.
In January a fight with old foe Matt Serra is looming in his future, and an aging Hughes may find himself eating his own words at Serra's hands.
To me a loss to Matt Serra would put the world back in order and end the cyclic journey as it should be ended, with Serra teaching Hughes that it is best to keep your words to others very sweet, in the event that you may someday be eating them.
Ah, Grandma Dee loves a big dose of poetic justice almost better than chocolate!
Never mind the fact that Hughes had promised to attend a wrestling tournament in small town Clinton, Illinois, but failed to show. He was quickly forgiven for that by the earnest young wrestlers who adored him; although Grandma still had to bid on Hughes' autographed tee shirts in spite of her displeasure with the "no show" which the kids had suffered in stoic silence.
Then during UFC TUF 4 "The Comeback" when Matt Hughes came on the show as a "guest coach" and made rude comments towards Grandma's favorite fighter Georges St. Pierre, it did show a petty side of Hughes of which Cody had not been aware.
Thank heaven for the outspoken Matt Serra whose defence of GSP brought him up very highly in the Willis's family's estimation, making him their season favorite. And what a predicament that presented when through fate, GSP and Matt Serra became opponents after the show's finale when Georges beat Hughes and became the Welterweight champion. If only a Hughes v Serra fight could have occurred first!
Naturally, this was not to be and when Serra "shocked the world" by defeating Georges, another set of circumstances, including an injury to Serra's back put GSP and Hughes back in contention for an "interim belt."
The second meeting of Serra v St. Pierre ended favorably for Georges and made him an instant hero in his hometown of Montreal Quebec, Canada. where the event was held.
Each time St. Pierre beat Hughes he had been very generous in praising Hughes for his strength and wrestling ability. So when Hughes stepped in to meet Thigo Alves ( replacing an injured Chuck Liddell ) as headliner in the London venue UFC 85, he may truly have believed Georges' complements, overestimating his own capabilities. While watching Matt face off with Thiago "a youngster" with superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, he looked pathetically old, slow and much less of a force than his record in the UFC would indicate.
Hughes looked pale with exhaustion when he faced off with Alves at the beginning of the second round. He had given away his intention to shoot for a takedown and even I as a sixty-two year old non-fighter knew exactly what was about to happen as he took a wicked knee to the head, sprawling backwards on the mat.
Only the sick way that Hughes fell with his left knee out of alignment was a complete surprise. Well, that and the fact Hughes wasn't carried out of the octagon and somehow "gimped" out on his own power. That may be the only exemplary moment Hughes displayed in his fight with Alves.
Yet Hughes has apparently forgotten his own foibles and failings in his last fight. Of all things he chose to be critical of Georges' five round title fight with Jon Fitch which, though it went the distance, resulted in perfect scores for Georges and a unanimous decision. Since then Hughes stated that Georges "looked smaller" to him and the fight "not being exciting," prompted Huges to leave during the third round "to beat the rush;" which was ludicrous at best, and sour grapes at worse.
In January a fight with old foe Matt Serra is looming in his future, and an aging Hughes may find himself eating his own words at Serra's hands.
To me a loss to Matt Serra would put the world back in order and end the cyclic journey as it should be ended, with Serra teaching Hughes that it is best to keep your words to others very sweet, in the event that you may someday be eating them.
Ah, Grandma Dee loves a big dose of poetic justice almost better than chocolate!
