Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes holds a 45-9-0 professional record as a switch-stance welterweight standing 5'9" with a 73-inch reach. Hughes built his career as a well-rounded mixed martial artist combining grappling prowess with striking volume, landing 2.14 strikes per minute at 53% accuracy while absorbing 1.36 per minute and defending 53% of incoming strikes.

His wrestling formed the foundation of his approach, averaging 2.95 takedowns per 15 minutes at 50% accuracy, though his 35% takedown defense exposed vulnerability against elite grapplers. Hughes proved dangerous in submission exchanges, averaging 1.2 submissions per 15 minutes, highlighted by first-round finishes over Frank Trigg (November 2003) and Joe Riggs (November 2005).

His career featured dominant performances against elite competition, including a submission victory over Georges St-Pierre in October 2004 and a third-round TKO of BJ Penn in September 2006. However, Hughes faced declining results in his later career, suffering a devastating first-round KO loss to BJ Penn in November 2010 and another opening-round knockout defeat to Josh Koscheck in September 2011.

By the conclusion of his recent fight sample, Hughes compiled a 6-2 record over eight contests, indicating a fighter transitioning out of championship contention.