Matt Hughes admits his loss to B.J. Penn was “one big step closer to retirement”
Former UFC welterweight champion, Matt Hughes has spoken for the first time since the disappointing first minute defeat at the hands of B.J. Penn just last month, as well as explaining the manner of the loss has brought him a big step closer to hanging up his gloves for good.
Speaking via his recent blog, Hughes said:
“A lot of people have been asking about the fight and how I am doing. Of course, the fight didn’t go like I had planned it. I knew BJ was going to be in shape, but I didn’t know he was going to come in with a game plan and really look for my tendencies. I think BJ knew I was going to come in throwing my jab and I think he had a game plan for that. He hit me with a hard right hand that I never saw coming.”
“It’s funny how styles make fights and I’m not at all like Frankie Edgar. So it just kind of stinks that BJ came off two losses and then ended up beating me in less than 30 seconds. I knew BJ was going to be tough that first round. I was trying to get him into the second and the third round where I could wear on him, slow him down and soften him up a little bit; but it just didn’t go that way.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do now. I’m definitely going to take the winter off and some of the spring. I had three fights this year, so I’ve just got some other things I want to do; but I will say that this was one big step closer to retirement for me.”
Hughes is seemingly in no man’s land despite putting together a trio of wins prior to the fight with Penn leading many to believe he was on his way back into title contention. Now that he’s definitively lost to essentially a lightweight who was coming off back-to-back losses, the former long-time champion is in a tough spot moving forward. Stay tuned to MMABay for news on his next move inside the octagon as we get it.
By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)
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