'Rush' to a Title, GSP Faces Hughes for Interim UFC Belt
One day following the news that UFC 170-pound champion Matt Serra (Pictures) had withdrawn from his Dec. 29
title defense against Matt
Hughes (Pictures) because of injury, the UFC
announced Georges St.
Pierre (Pictures) would fight Hughes for an interim
title.
St. Pierre and Hughes have fought twice, splitting the bouts. Hughes recaptured the welterweight belt after it was vacated by B.J. Penn (Pictures) in the first fight, while St. Pierre stopped Hughes in the rematch to capture the UFC belt.
"I'm so excited to get this fight," said St. Pierre in a statement on UFC.com. "I'm fighting Matt Hughes (Pictures) for the interim title right now, and then after that I'm going to go after Serra. I've wanted that rematch against Serra, and this is the best scenario that can happen."
"Rush" lost the title to Serra in February of this year. The division championship, due mainly to the UFC promoting a Serra-Hughes title fight via the sixth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which concludes in December, has been in hiatus, having only been up for grabs once in 2007. St. Pierre-Hughes is slated for five five-minute rounds.
The current champion, desperately wanting to fight Hughes, is now relegated to cheering for the former two-time UFC king.
"I can't believe the position this puts me in," Serra said on UFC.com. "I'm actually rooting for Matt Hughes (Pictures) so I can beat his ass."
St. Pierre and Hughes have fought twice, splitting the bouts. Hughes recaptured the welterweight belt after it was vacated by B.J. Penn (Pictures) in the first fight, while St. Pierre stopped Hughes in the rematch to capture the UFC belt.
"I'm so excited to get this fight," said St. Pierre in a statement on UFC.com. "I'm fighting Matt Hughes (Pictures) for the interim title right now, and then after that I'm going to go after Serra. I've wanted that rematch against Serra, and this is the best scenario that can happen."
"Rush" lost the title to Serra in February of this year. The division championship, due mainly to the UFC promoting a Serra-Hughes title fight via the sixth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which concludes in December, has been in hiatus, having only been up for grabs once in 2007. St. Pierre-Hughes is slated for five five-minute rounds.
The current champion, desperately wanting to fight Hughes, is now relegated to cheering for the former two-time UFC king.
"I can't believe the position this puts me in," Serra said on UFC.com. "I'm actually rooting for Matt Hughes (Pictures) so I can beat his ass."
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