UFC 135 Results: 3 Reasons Matt Hughes Needs to Retire

Matt Hughes' legendary career in UFC appears to have come to an end or at least it should after his first-round TKO loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 135.

Hughes did not officially retire last night, but did say that he wanted UFC to "put him on the shelf."

While that leaves the door open for a possible return, UFC president Dana White said at the post-fight press conference that he thinks Hughes is done but just doesn't want to say it publicly.

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I think he's going to retire. I just don't think Hughes wants to say the word "retire."

He's going to fly out to Vegas in the next month or so and sit down and talk, but I'm pretty sure he's going to hang it up—without saying "retire." I'm almost 100 percent positive he's going to retire. I don't think he's going to do anything else. 

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Even if Hughes does have the desire to retire, he has reached the point where people start feeling bad for him when he is in the octagon. That is not what you want to see from a fighter who has had the kind of impact on the sport that Hughes has had.

Here are three reasons that Hughes needs to officially call it a career.

1. Age

Matt Hughes is 37 years old. He has been competing in mixed martial arts professionally for nearly 14 years. There is only so much punishment that the human body can take before it isn’t able—or safe—to take any more.

No one can deny that Hughes is one of the best to ever fight in UFC, but at some point you have to come to grips with the fact that you can’t do it anymore.

Hughes now has a chance to get out with his head held high, which is something that a lot of fighters don’t get to do.

2. Legacy

When you think of Chuck Liddell, what is the first thing that pops into your head? That brutal one-punch knockout that he took from Rich Franklin in his final fight as a mixed martial artist has to be right at the top of the list.

Hughes suffered a one-punch knockout to B.J. Penn last November. Despite talking retirement after that fight, he decided to keep fighting. This turned out to be a mistake and he needs to get out before fans start feeling bad for him.

Hughes is a UFC legend. He holds company records for most fights (25) and most victories (18), so he needs to get out while people still talk about that and not how he walked away too late.

3. Family

This is the most important reason to Hughes, I am sure. His family has wanted him to retire for some time now, but he keeps fighting because it is what he loves doing.

Hughes has even talked about the effect that fighting and training has had on his kids and sounds more resigned to the fact that he will retire sooner rather than later.

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It probably depends a lot on my wife. She sees the kids get sad when I leave, she gets real nervous fight week and especially fight time. She's been real smart with our money… We don't need the paychecks anymore. So, you've got to call it quits someday. I would love to go out on top.

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His family needs him a lot more than he needs to fight.