Matt Hughes?
Jens Pulver said on MMAWEEKLYRADIO a while back, what kind of fighter would beat him now. A great striker with great takedown defense.
the kind that could either:
-KO him
-land enough unanswered strikes so the ref has to stop him
-submit him
-cause a cut
-or do enough to win a decision over Hughes
lol @ kbeezy.
Jens was talking about a mini-Crocop.
Dennis Hallman.
Though I dont think anyone is good enough to keep himself on is feet against Hughes now, he always be caught with one good punch standing(Sakurai staggered him, though, briefly with a jab) or with a knee on a shot (ala Pele) or caught with a sub (as with Hallman).
Course, all these are possible but dont see any of them happening right now. Hughes has improved so much even from his Sakurai fight.
Was he talking about himself.
i'd say busta - 20 or so pounds
When Matt Hughes fought Dennis Hallman the first couple times, he didn't know how to escape or power out of submissions back then. Now Matt knows how to escape and power out of submissions.
A 170 pound version of a cro cop would beat Matt Hughes.
A BJJ blackbelt in a ring.
Someone who can take him down and keep him down.
What, no man alive can take him down at 170? That can't be true. There's gotta be somebody.
"A BJJ blackbelt in a ring."
Matt Hughes beat up a Rickson Gracie BlackBelt in a MMA fight before, so it won't be a BJJ/Submission guy anymore.
Darko is correct. Hallman by submission (again.)
"When Matt Hughes fought Dennis Hallman the first couple times, he didn't know how to escape or power out of submissions back then. Now Matt knows how to escape and power out of submissions."
Hughes has been powering out of everyone's submissions for his entire career. Menne must've thrown about 2 dozen submission attempts at Hughes in EC 21, but couldn't finish one. The next fight (on that same night) is when Hallman choked Hughes unconscious.
"Matt Hughes beat up a Rickson Gracie BlackBelt in a MMA fight before, so it won't be a BJJ/Submission guy anymore."
That was before the second Hallman fight.
Hughes has always been great at avoiding submissions. Except against Hallman.
The great thing is, I'm sure Hughes would be more than happy to fight Hallman again. Hughes is a true champ. It's up to Zuffa to put that match together.
"A 170 pound version of a cro cop would beat Matt Hughes."
I doubt it; Hughes' takedowns are much better/faster than Nogueira's or Silva's, and both of them took down Mirko.
Agreed. Hughes takedowns are on another level.
Someone who's good at fighting off their back. Guys like Trigg, Sherk, Castillo, Sakurai etc. are all guys who dominate from the top position.
Newton and Hallman are the only real submission threats from guard that Hughes has ever faced. He's also 2-2 against them, with one of those wins being while he was unconscious.
I think that alone shows what kind of fighter can beat him. He's certainly not submission proof.
I still think Newton had him out in the first fight.
Pele