How good do you think Matt Hughes would be in todays UFC?

[MescalineDreams]

Dont think he would even be top 10

 

[Fishmonger]

hey, man. it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

 

[ArmenianAssasin]

See Colby Covington

Matt was nowhere near as good as Colby - maybe in the wrestling department but that's it

 

[cheesus]

He would be too small to compete against the WW's of today and his striking would need some serious work

 

[Biggamer86]

Gate keeper

 

[Tuf_guy]

Here's the thing that most people don't think about in these kinds of conversations; if there is a hypothetical 2020 Matt Hughes, does that include the literal 2020s training environment too?

A guy with Hughes' talent makes a splash in any era.

I just don't believe Hughes would ever be that good of a striker. Shit, he was with Militech who was big on boxing and basically got to decent on the feet while a stud on the ground. I could be wrong, but he just strikes me as someone who didn't have the makings of a varsity striker.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Matt was nowhere near as good as Colby - maybe in the wrestling department but that's it

Wrestling Hughes
Cardio Hughes (he was a cardio machine)
Subs Hughes (was black belt level without having a black belt)
Striking even - colby might be better fundamentally and have better volume but Hughes hurt people with his strikes when they landed so it's even to me
Fight IQ Colby - colby has proven he can adjust in the middle of the fight. Hughes, for better or worse, always tried to win or die wrestling

3-1-1 in favor of Hughes


I don't know how you can look at Hughes in '06 and Colby in '19 and really argue the sport has evolved.

 

[Simple Southerner]

Very good question I think he would be good but not as good as he was back then do to today's competition

 

[dildos]

He is the second ufc goat just aftert gsp.

check After bj ..

 

[POWER2]

He would lose to all of the elite. He'd be maybe Top 10.

You're out of your mind. His top game is still one of the best in the world. His strength, speed. I'm still waiting on someone who actually works the full mount better. 2 seconds into mount Matt would be punching and elbowing. No stall. No rest. No mercy.

 

[Thesnake101]

Wrestling Hughes

Honest question, why wouldn't they be even in the wrestling department?

 

[Ares Black]

You're out of your mind. His top game is still one of the best in the world. His strength, speed. I'm still waiting on someone who actually works the full mount better. 2 seconds into mount Matt would be punching and elbowing. No stall. No rest. No mercy.

He would not be able to take down any elite fighter and would get destroyed on the feet.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Honest question, why wouldn't they be even in the wrestling department?

Being that they're both cardio machines and lifelong wrestlers you have to give the edge to Hughes who was over 200 pounds while Colby is actually one of the smaller WW and walks around in the 180.

When everything else is equal size matters.

 

[BobbyBuds]

It'd be tough, the WW's are so dynamic now, all have great defensive wrestling & are actually bigger than him. If you remember when he fought Kos, he was out-muscled, than Kos was smaller/weaker than the top dogs when he went out. That could be age, but he just genuinely looked smaller than the WW's of today at the top

 

[Lax617]

His skillset would be mote evolved than what they were doing at MFS back in the day. He's a contender no doubt.

 

[Huligani]

Not that great. Very one dimensional by today's standards; not much of a striking game and lots of welterweights are really damn good on the ground so even if he took them down, he would not have an easy time with most. Look no further than Ben Askren for a close comparison. He also never had a great chin.

 

[boladiQup]

not a fan of country music at all, but this song kicks ass.

 

[wbubbles]

I think the strikers today hit like a train compared to back when hughes was champ.

 

[boladiQup]

I think the strikers today hit like a train compared to back when hughes was champ.

 

[HunterAcosta]

Here's the thing that most people don't think about in these kinds of conversations; if there is a hypothetical 2020 Matt Hughes, does that include the literal 2020s training environment too?

A guy with Hughes' talent makes a splash in any era.

What exactly would be different though besides better drugs? I know the sport has "evolved" but he trained at MFS and had a plethora of great muay thai guys, boxers, wrestlers and bjj guys to hone his skills against. Its not like he was training at a mcdojo or some bjj school. I think he would physically and technically be as good as he was then. Hughes just never had the knack or coordination to be a good sttriker. Some guys athletic at one thing aint got it in another, like jake shields. Pat Miletich is a well rounded coach and I dont see ATT or Jacksons or Tristar making him that much better.Now if you talk about better peds(yes i know he never pissed hot but cmon) then maybe youre on to something.