It was the spring of 2006 and Matt Hughes, then the UFC welterweight champion, had a problem. The problem was his back. More specifically, the problem was the three bulging discs that made every day its own little carnival of pain. He had a fight coming up in a month's time – a catchweight showdown with early UFC legend Royce Gracie. He had a decision to make. Only if you hear Hughes tell it, there was no decision. The matter had already been settled before the injury ever occurred. "I'm probably a little different than most people," says Hughes. "If ...

Brock Lesnar just so happens to be one of those types of athletes that no matter what he says or what he does, the fans (for one reason or another) just can't seem to get enough of him (just ask Frank Mir). Not that it’s all positive, of course. For as many fans that seem to love Brock Lesnar (oh yes fight fans...they definitely exist), just as many, if not more, seem to really despise who he is as a person, and what they perceive he represents. Oh well...love him or hate him, the reality is that ...

Matt Hughes finally finished an exhausted and defeated Renzo Gracie in the last round of the fight. Both fighters tired as the fight went on and the crowd  booed the legends of MMA. This was a true legends fight between the man known as the gamest of the Gracies, Renzo Gracie and the greatest welterweight champion in UFC history, Matt Hughes. The match represented a thank you to Renzo from the UFC. Neither fighter seemed to want to shoot for a take down in the early moments of the fight. Gracie began landing punches standing. That's when Hughes shot in for the clinch. Renzo fought off the take down and it was back to the feet for the rest ...

Most pundits are giving Demian Maia little or no chance to unseat middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 112. This is in spite of the fact that Demian Maia is one of the most credentialed jiu jitsu practitioners to ever fight for a UFC title. Maia has won the world jiu jitsu title three times and has also won the Abu Dhabi Combat Club submission grappling championship. Forget BJJ black belts like Thales Leites and Rousimar Palhares. Anderson Silva may have excellent jiu jitsu, but  Maia is on a different plane as a grappler. He's in that rarefied air where only the best of the best contend. His peers are Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, ...

As Renzo Gracie prepares to fight Matt Hughes on Saturday at UFC 112, he says he's going to use the skill that his family is famous for around the world -- Brazilian jiu jitsu -- to win the fight. Gracie, who is a grandson of Carlos Gracie and a grandnephew of Helio Gracie, said in a chat with MMAFighting.com readers that he believes his superior Brazilian jiu jitsu skills will more than make up for Hughes' excellent wrestling. "Better jiu jitsu is what will make the difference in this fight -- I can ...