By The Numbers: Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes was a transcendent figure during the formative years of the modern Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his accomplishments hold water nearly nine years after he announced his retirement.

The two-time welterweight champion closed out his remarkable career with a 45-9 record that included 35 finishes, 25 of them inside one round. Hughes piled up 18 wins in the UFC—a number that still ties him with Max Holloway, Neil Magny and Frankie Edgar for 12th on the organization’s all-time list. Enshrined in the pioneer wing of the UFC Hall of Fame, he made his final appearance inside the Octagon in a first-round knockout loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 135 on Sept. 24, 2011. Hughes was involved in a near-fatal train accident that left him significantly impaired in 2017.

As the longtime Pat Miletich protégé drifts further and further away from his exploits inside the cage, a look at some of the numbers he compiled across his 13-plus years in mixed martial arts:

47: Years of age for Hughes, who was born on Oct. 13, 1973 in Hillsboro, Illinois—a city of some 6,200 people located 250 miles southwest of Chicago.

14: Hughes wins by submission, accounting for 31% of his career total (45). His methods of choice: three rear-naked chokes, three arm-triangle chokes, three armbars, two keylocks, one guillotine choke, one kimura and one anaconda choke. Hughes recorded 21 other wins by knockout or technical knockout and 10 more by decision.

39: Takedowns completed by Hughes as a UFC welterweight, tying him with Dong Hyun Kim for 10th on the promotion’s all-time list at 170 pounds. Only Georges St. Pierre (87), Johny Hendricks (61), Colby Covington (61), Jon Fitch (53), Karo Parisyan (53), the aforementioned Magny (52), Kamaru Usman (49), Demian Maia (43) and Rick Story (40) have executed more.

4: Fighters in UFC history, including Hughes, who have compiled at least 1:45:00 of top position time. St. Pierre (2:22:05), Maia (2:01:15) and Fitch (1:46:35) are the others.

1,577: Days spent by Hughes as undisputed welterweight champion. It was spread across two title reigns, as he ruled the division from Nov. 2, 2001 to Jan. 31, 2004 and again from Oct. 22, 2004 to Nov. 18, 2006. Only St. Pierre has enjoyed more time (2,204 days) atop the 170-pound weight class.

15: Seconds needed for Hughes to deliver a slam knockout against Erick Snyder in his professional debut at Jeet Kune Do Challenge 1 on Jan. 1, 1998. It was the fastest finish of his 54-fight career.

18: Consecutive wins for Hughes between Dec. 11, 1998 and Nov. 12, 2000. It was his longest run of sustained success as a pro and included two assignments in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Hughes laid claim to a unanimous decision over Valeri Ignatov at UFC 22 and prompted a first-round doctor stoppage against Marcelo Aguiar at UFC 26.

25: Significant strikes by which Hughes outlanded Royce Gracie before he stopped the Brazilian icon with punches 4:39 into the first round of their UFC 60 main event. He connected on 32 such strikes while absorbing only seven in return. It was Gracie’s only loss in his 13 appearances inside the Octagon.

164: Combined victories between the six men—Koscheck, Georges St. Pierre (twice), B.J. Penn (twice), Dennis Hallman (twice), Thiago Alves and Jose Landi-Jons—who defeated Hughes. They boast a cumulative winning percentage of .667 (164-78-4).

0: Decision losses on the Hughes resume. He went a perfect 10-0 with nine unanimous verdicts in fights that reached the judges. The lone exception? Hughes’ majority decision over Hiromitsu Kanehara at a Rings event in August 2001.