UFC 135: If This Is the End for Matt Hughes, How Will He Be Remembered?

As UFC 135 gets underway tonight, almost all the hype surrounds Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson. But the welterweight co-main event between Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes carries plenty of intrigue of its own.

Most of the drama is tied to Hughes and his 37 years of age. In his last outing, he lost to B.J. Penn by knockout in 21 seconds. The knockout showed just how far Hughes has fallen, how prone he is to big shots from younger, quicker fists. The fact that his fight with Penn happened 10 months ago (Koscheck is the only opponent he'll face in 2011) indicates he may be slower to recover these days, less eager to compete, have other things beside fighting on his agenda or all of the above.

If he does lose to Koscheck tonight, it will be his second consecutive loss. It will have been more than four years since he last defeated someone who could be considered a serious contender (Chris Lytle in 2007). If he loses tonight, he will surely consider retirement, just as he did after losing to Penn.

If that comes to pass, how will he be remembered?

Hughes is in the UFC record books for most successful title defenses (seven) and most wins in the UFC (18). He is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is one of the greatest champions not only in the Octagon, but in all of MMA.

It is also arguable that he is the greatest welterweight of all time. Personally, I believe that honor is reserved for Georges St-Pierre, the current champ who has bested Hughes in two of their three meetings. GSP may not have the long history and the attendant records that Hughes does. But give him time. Chances are he will eventually, if he keeps going the way he has.

Even so, Hughes has still had an extremely memorable career by any measure. And he'll go down in history as one of a handful of the UFC's greatest champions.

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