Matt Hughes
Biofiles | Published March 8th, 2008
 STATUS: Former UFC Middleweight champion.
HT: 5-9 WT: 185
BORN ON: Oct. 13, 1973 IN: Hillsboro, IL
CHILDHOOD HERO: “I always looked up to Dan Gable.”
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “Growing up on a farm, that would be all the hobbies right there. Farm work. I play paintball sometimes.”
NICKNAMES: “The Wreckin’ Machine for a short time. But I don’t go by any nickname.”
EARLY FIGHTING MEMORY: “I thought it was easy. Super-easy. I hardly trained. I was just a wrestler, thought there was nothing to it. I had won my first five fights, (winning easy).”
CHILDHOOD DREAM: “High school teacher, Phys. Ed and health. I always wanted to be a teacher and coach wrestling.”
FAVORITE MOVIE: “I liked the Matrix.”
ALL-TIME FAVORITE TV SHOWS: “Seinfeld and The Simpsons. I try to watch The Simpsons every Sunday.”
MUSICAL TASTES: “Country, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr.”
PRE-FIGHT MEAL: “Some type of health bar, maybe a Myoplex or Metr-X.”
PRE-FIGHT FEELING: “I’m very relaxed. Just doing whatever. I like to joke around with my friends, to be honest. Yes (I look at him upon entering the Octagon). I just do it for me. I’m not really studying him. I like to look things over. Not to send a message. I don’t have one particular thing I do. Just play it by ear.”
FUNNY FIGHTING MEMORY: “There was a UFC in New Orleans. The night before, a bunch of us fighters went out - me, Jens Pulver, Pat Miletich, (promoter/manager) Monte Cox. And we were down on Bourbon Street. We were all drunk. We all drank Hurricanes, you know them? They have like seven shots in one drink! I had four, Pat had four. We’re all plastered. Pat’s got two false teeth. Walking back, me and Pat decided to do a beer guzzle contest. Pat won the race. But then he was puking and walking up the street. Puking, then walking, puking, then walking. Then he realized that he puked his teeth out! Then he had to go back and sift through his puke and find his teeth [smiles]. One of those things I’ll never forget.”
FAVORITE MEAL: “Steak, medium-well, with a potato.”
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: “Oh, I usually eat that healthy stuff with almonds. You know the stuff I’m talking about?”
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: “Hmmmmmm. Chocolate with peanut butter. I add my own peanut butter in there.”
FIRST JOB: “Besides on a farm would be at the Locker Plant meatpacking in Hillsboro (age 17).”
FIRST CAR: “1984 black Chevy Camaro.”
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: “Winning the world title (KO slam vs. Carlos Newton). Afterward, 20 minutes after, when it all kind of sunk in. I was backstage with my brother (Mark). I felt really good for that fight. Pat was really nervous. He kept saying things to me. I kept turning around and looking through the fence, saying to Pat, ‘Relax, I feel good.’ I felt like it would all come together. I felt I could dominate position on him, on the stand-up. I’m a better striker and a better wrestler. I could go for takedowns or I could hold him off. He didn’t look very confident to me. And he also looked small. I didn’t think he prepared well for the fight. After he walked in with the Playboy model and the afro wigs, he looked kind of puny. And I thought he had his mind on other things, other than me.”
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: “The loss to Pele in early February 2001, in Kuwait. I shot in and he threw a knee at the same time. A flash knockout.”
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: “You know, I’ve never really been on vacation. I went to Hawaii and Australia for fights. I’d like to go back to Brisbane and Surfers Paradise.”
LAST HALLOWEEN COSTUME: “Jeez, it’s been so long. Oh….a WWF wrestler. Not as anyone certain, we were just acting like wrestlers. That was back in college (at Eastern Illinois University).”
FAVORITE ATHLETES TO WATCH: “I like to see technical athletes. Like in boxing, I’d rather see a technical boxer like Lennox Lewis and Tyson used to be. I’m a big fan of Sumo wrestling. People who turn on the channel think it’s just two fat guys pushing each other. Very interesting, the rituals, how technical it is. One using leverage against the other.”
PEOPLE MOST ADMIRED: “I like people who are upfront with me. Hard-working. Humorous, but serious, at the same time.”
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