UFC 98: Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra Preview

UFC 98 is finally among us, and it is time for a long awaited match up.  The drama for this fight started way back in 2007. The two Matts, Serra and Hughes, were picked to be opposite one another as the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter, and to fight at the completion of the show. Two long years later, and tons of trash talk, it is finally time for these very different characters to get it on in the cage!

Matt Hughes is one of the best fighters in the history of the 170 pound weight division. He owns wins over George St. Pierre, B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, and many more. He has won at least 40 victories in his career as a pro fighter, and is as much of a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame as you can get. A loss here almost cements the former poster boy into retirement.

Matt Serra is far from being known as a dominant fighter. In all honesty, if it hadn't been for one nasty shot and a larger than life upset, we may not be talking about him today. Matt Serra's up and down career seems to be clinging to this fight. A loss here will make Serra's career seem more like a one hit wonder than a true work of art.

This is one of those bad blood match ups that could make UFC 98 an incredible card. The two obviously can't stand one another and are ready to punch each other in the face over and over again! 

If Matt Serra is going to win, he needs to land one of his haymakers.  He will be the smaller fighter. To be successful he will need to get inside Hughes, work a dirty boxing type of style while standing, and throw each punch like it is his last.  His ground game is better than Hughes, but he is not taking Hughes down. One would think he could almost allow Hughes to take him down and use his strong guard game to control the fight, and work to a submission.

Although both fighters are coming off of injuries, Serra's was far worse. The longer this fight goes, the worse off it is for Serra. This could be bad for the conditioning of Serra. He needs to strike fast, strike early, and not let Hughes get comfortable.

If Matt Hughes is going to win, he needs to be the bully in the cage that he used to be.  He needs to step in knowing he is about to give Serra a good old country butt whooping! He will need to continuously move his head and avoid Serra's haymakers. Hughes needs to use a jab to set up a take down.

Once on the ground he needs to stay out of the locked guard position. After Serra locks his legs, Hughes will no longer be in the dominant position. If he avoids this, and uses solid ground and pound he should win this fight. I also feel that as the fight goes, Hughes will get stronger. Hughes' psyche may be a bit off, and if he gets comfortable and confident in himself it will spell trouble for Serra.

In terms of a prediction I have to give this one to Hughes. I don't see Serra as a true 170 pound fighter. I think his conditioning will not be even with Hughes' and could be the reason he loses this fight. I see this one going to decision with Hughes winning a very controversial split.

This fight is going to be a good one. The two really don't like one another.  In many interviews Matt Hughes has said that he don't want to finish Serra early, that he would rather beat on him for the entire three round fight! Make sure you tune in, this is going to be a war!