I don't like him - think he's a douchebag - but he's been a great champion, who is now going to be a mark for other fighters to notch on their belt. He shouldn't become the Muhammad Ali to somebody else's Trevor Berbick.
i've been shitting on him for a while, he's a dinosaur that has been surviving long enough, when's his last big win? against B.J. when he was losing before B.J gassed/separrated rib he really hasn't evolved at all and can't even throw a punch. He was a great champ when a dominate wrestler could be a champ, but those are gone...after GSP gave him a couple **** kickins he should have learned that. But he will still fight Matt Serra so I hope that fight will be a good one and he can go out with some dignity.
He looks so weak anymore which makes me wonder how just 3-4 years ago he was a strong as a ****ing bulldozer but now he cant move people.
other people are training harder. the competition level is improving and he's getting to be obsolete with old age.
Here's the thing, though. You couldn't really tell if Hughes was truly sliding, because Penn and GSP make everybody look bad. It really wasn't until this fight (Alves is good, but he's not "otherwordly" in comparison) that it became crystal clear that Hughes has topped the mountain and is heading downhill now.
I see this as the most likely scenario. I've never been a big Hughs fan, but I do think his age has more to do with his recent decline than anything. I also believe his lack of strength has a little to do with facing larger fighters. I realize he's in his same weight class, but GSP is rumored to weigh more than 200lbs a couple weeks away from fight night.
Where did you hear that? he said himself he walks around about 186. And when him and Hughes are at the stareoff they look almost the same ....But Alves was noticeably bigger and ripped....his only prob will be making weight in the future if he wants to carry that much muscle.
I have a friend from Canada, and his kickboxing instructor has trained with Pierre. He told me that GSP walks around at about 205. I have another friend, a BJJ instructor that does not know my friend in Canada. He is friends with an instuctor that runs a school in Washington D.C. Pierre has come to this school on occasion to train. Without knowing my friend from Canada's comment of GSP's weight, he mentioned the D.C. guys commenting on Pierre's ability to come down from above 200.
He'll pound the guido out of Serra and then call it a career. Its not so much that he didn't evolve, its that he isn't as good at what he is best at. For all of GSP's well roundedness, he fights his best when he just immediatly takes the opponent down and pounds them senseless, exactly what Hughes did. He just has lost a step it seems.
Im not so sure he even beats Serra at this stage. Can he even get Serra down now ? I dont think he would and although Serra is a bit wild with his punches he has what Hughes doesnt and that is some heavy hands. Hughes is never comfertable when gets hit.
Why is Hughes called a 9 time champion? To my knowledge his only had 2 title reigns and defended his title 7 times under both reigns.
