Matt Hughes

D.O.B.: 10/13/1973
Weight: 170lb/77kg
Height: 5'9"
Fighting style: Submission Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
MMA Record: 41 - 5 - 0
Fighting out of: Hillsboro, Illinois

Matthew Allen Hughes (born October 13, 1973) is a professional mixed martial arts fighter and a former UFC Welterweight Champion. He trains as part of the Miletich Fighting Systems team along with UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia, and former UFC champions Pat Miletich and Jens Pulver. Hughes is known for his grappling skills, extreme strength and ground-and-pound style.

Hughes won his first UFC Welterweight title at UFC 34: High Voltage on November 2, 2001 by knocking out Carlos Newton with a "powerbomb" slam just as he himself was about to pass out from Newton's triangle choke. He successfully defended his championship belt several times thereafter, defeating Hayato Sakurai, Carlos Newton (in a rematch), Gil Castillo, Sean Sherk, and Frank Trigg. He kept the title until UFC 46, when he was submitted by Hawaiian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist B.J. Penn via rear naked choke. The title was vacated upon a contract dispute between B.J. Penn and the UFC. Hughes regained the vacant welterweight title by submitting Canadian contender Georges St. Pierre via armbar in the final second of the first round at UFC 50. After regaining his title, Hughes successfully retained it in a rematch with Frank Trigg. After being accidentally hit in the groin early in the first round, Hughes looked to the referee; however, the referee had not seen the strike and Trigg capitalized on Hughes' distraction by taking him down into a ground and pound situation that lasted in excess of two minutes. Trigg nearly caught Hughes in a rear naked choke before Hughes managed to escape and go on to win a decisive second victory with a rear naked choke of his own. Hughes's next fight took place at UFC 56, where he was scheduled to fight Judo practitioner Karo Parisyan. After Parysian suffered a hamstring injury and could not fight, Joe Riggs took his place. Hughes defeated Riggs in the first round by kimura. The match was originally scheduled as a title bout, but since Riggs could not meet the 170-pound Welterweight weight limit, it became a non-title fight. On May 27, 2006, Matt Hughes defeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Royce Gracie by strikes from the back mount position. Moments before the stoppage, Royce Gracie was caught in a modified armbar from the side mount position; although Hughes appeared to have the submission locked in, he did not finish it. After the fight he told Grappling Magazine that he "let go of the armbar because he did not want to break Gracie's arm".