Fernando Allende/NY Post/Splash
Two-time welterweight champion Matt Hughes on Friday became the eighth man to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He joins Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Mark Coleman and the late Charles “Mask” Lewis.
Hughes holds a slew of promotional records, including victories (17) and successful title defenses (seven). The 36-year-old Hillsboro, Ill., native has defeated six current or former UFC champions: Georges St. Pierre, B.J. Penn, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk, Carlos Newton and Dave Menne. Hughes holds other notable victories against former Icon Sport titleholder Frank Trigg, Japanese standout Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Akihiro Gono.
Still revered by many as the most accomplished welterweight in the sport’s history, Hughes has secured 34 of his 44 career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He last competed at UFC 112 in April, when he stopped Renzo Gracie on third-round strikes. Between Dec. 11, 1998 and Nov. 21, 2003, Hughes won 31 of his 33 bouts. That incredible run included an 18-fight winning streak.
Having spent much of his career as a cornerstone of the Miletich Fighting Systems camp, Hughes founded the H.I.T. Squad academy in Granite City, Ill. in 2008. He was a four-time collegiate All-American wrestler at Lincoln Community College and Eastern Illinois University. Hughes made his UFC debut in 1999 and has compiled a 17-5 mark inside the Octagon.