UFC 48: Payback Preview
Matt Hughes vs Renato Verrisimo
Jun 14, 2004
MATT HUGHES (Photo Gallery):
American wrestler; striker; two-time Junior College All-American;
two-time NCAA All-American; Shooto veteran, RINGS veteran; WEF
veteran, Superbrawl veteran; Warriors War veteran; Extreme
Challenge 21 and 29 tournament winner; current UFC Welterweight
Champion; trains with Jens Pulver, Jeremy Horn, Tim Sylvia, Tony
Fryklund, Pat Miletich and the rest of the Miletich Fighting
Systems team; with a record of 33-4 in MMA; making his 11th
appearance (8-2) in the UFC.
HISTORY: Matt began wrestling in high school and was a member of the High School All-America Wrestling Team his senior year. He won two, 145-pound Illinois High School State Wrestling titles and became a two-time junior college All-American. At Eastern Illinois University, Matt was a two-time NCAA All-American. He began fighting MMA in 1997 and has competed against many of the top fighters in the sport. He debuted in the UFC in 1999 and fought regularly for the organization beginning in 2001. He claimed his welterweight title at UFC 34 against Carlos Newton and fought for his 6th title defense against B.J. Penn at UFC 46.
Hughes/Dennis Hallman: Other than the bout with "Pele," the
mysterious "Dennis Hallman Factor" is responsible for Matt's only
other MMA losses with more than 30 victories to his credit. Both
fights were extremely quick. Hughes is 0-2 against Hallman and
neither fight lasted 30 seconds.
Hughes/Jose Landi-Jons: Hughes fought in the Shidokan Warrior's War 1 tournament and was also given the opportunity to get an early flight back to the home, courtesy of one Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons and a well-placed knee.
Hughes/Hayato Sakurai: Hughes dominated the entire bout but Sakurai is always in a fight and can turn the tables quickly. However, it didn't happen here and Sakurai hasn't been quite as dominant since the loss. The fight opened very competitively. Sakurai threw a handful of kicks and had a near submission in the opening moments but from there on it was all Hughes. Hayato had not fought inside a cage before and had a hard time defending against Hughes' elbows. Sakurai caught Hughes with one good punch that momentarily stunned him but the rest of the bout was a series of slams by Matt to pound the fight right out of Hayato. In the fourth round, Hughes closed the deal by putting Sakurai against the fence and ground-n-pounding him until McCarthy pulled him off.
Hughes/Sean Sherk: It was a fight people had wanted to see for at least a year prior. Two fighters so evenly matched physically and stylistically. Both have excellent take down abilities and punishing ground-n-pound skills. Hughes dominated the first two rounds with good takedowns, positioning and opened a big cut over Sherk's right eye. It was taken care of in the corner and the bout continued. Sherk got two takedowns in round three and was able to land some strikes on the feet, some of which opened a cut over Hughes right eye. Again, it was nothing serious, and the bout continued. The fourth bout was dominated by Hughes again, throwing sharp elbows from the mat. And in the final round Sherk got a takedown but the fight was out of his hands at that point. Not only did Sean lose the decision but as a slap in the face, Zuffa terminated his contract.
Hughes/Frank Trigg: Trigg shoots in and gets an easy takedown but cannot establish mount. Hughes has Trigg's leg and slides out from underneath. They grapple back and forth to establish control with Trigg on top for most of the struggle. Hughes is able to sit out and grab Trigg's legs. This allows him to stand, slam Frank and take side position. From the bottom Trigg is working for a Kimura armlock. Matt frees himself and gets back to his knees and controls Frank's upper body. Trigg is able to grab a leg and bring Hughes to the mat where they fight inside Matt's guard. Punching down from a standing position, Trigg appears in control. They are constantly working to establish control of one another and the advantage changes rapidly. Hughes eventually gets Trigg's back with one hook in. They struggle but Hughes eventually gets the second leg in and establishes the rear choke. Trigg taps as he falls toward the floor and the belt stays around Matt Hughes' waist.
Hughes/B.J. Penn: They exchange strikes at the bell. Hughes goes for a takedown from the clinch but misses and falls to his back and Penn fights from inside Hughes' guard. Matt goes for an armlock and it allows Penn to seize Matt's back. Hughes attempts a foot lock and B.J. works back to guard. B.J. continuously tries to pass his guard and the second time he gets Hughes' back, Matt is in real trouble. Rather than defend the choke, Hughes works on Penn's legs and it allows B.J. to sink the choke for the win. With the pressure of defending the title for the 6th time (a possible UFC record that would have surpassed his mentor Pat Miletich) behind him, Hughes almost has a look of relief on his face. Also worthy of note Hughes battled: Victor Hunsaker (win/TKO), Valeri Ignatov (win/decision), Joe Doerksen (win/submission), Akihiro Gono (win/decision), Dave Menne (win/decision), LaVerne Clark (win/decision), Jorge Pereira (win/TKO), Alexandre Barros (win/decision), Marcelo Aguiar (win/TKO), Hiromitsu Kanehara (win/decision), Christopher Haseman (win/decision), Chatt Lavender (win/submission) and Gil Castillo (win/TKO)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: Wrestling is his main strength but his striking has come on in recent bouts. He is by no means a one-dimensional wrestler. His ground game has always been strong but Hughes is a fighter on top of the sport that continues to get better. He's just a superior athlete and it gets increasingly more difficult to attempt to narrow down a weakness. With athletes like Couture fighting to 40 years of age, at just 30 (his "prime" fighting years), we may see Matt Hughes for years to come.
HOW HE CAN BEAT VERISSIMO: By controlling him on the mat with his raw strength. Few fighters in the division are as physically strong as Hughes, and to be bounced around on the mat that way can chip away at the ego very quickly. If Hughes can get a trademark slam and open Verissimo up early, he may be able to take some of the fight out of the relative newcomer to MMA and cause him to leave himself open for further punishment.
RENATO VERISSIMO (Photo Gallery): Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter; 1996 Brasileiro Champion (Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Champion); placed 2nd in the 1996 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship; placed 3rd in the 1997 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship; 1997 Brasileiro Equipes Champion (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Competition Championship); placed 2nd in the 1997 Pan-American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament Championship, 1998 and 1999 Abu Dhabi World Submission Fighting Championships veteran; black belt in jiu-jitsu under Andre Pederneiras; trains with B. J. Penn, John Lewis, Andre Pederneiras and members of the Lewis/Pederneiras Vale Tudo Team and Nova Uniao as well as Egan Inoue and members of Grappling Unlimited; with a record of 5-0-1 in MMA; making his 2nd appearance (1-0) in the UFC.
History: Verissimo began training in judo at 12 years old and trained the art for four years. During his judo training he took up water polo and spent six years competing in that sport. This is also where he got his "Charuto" nickname, which means "cigar" in Portuguese. It was given to him by his water polo coach because there was another boy named Renato and at 6-foot-1 and 145 pounds, the instructor felt he was shaped like a stogie. Verissimo began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1993. He is 5-0-1 in the sport and this will be just his second bout outside his homeland of Hawaii.
Verissimo/Mike Van Arsdale: This was not MMA and Verissimo was originally supposed to face former Extreme Fighting Middleweight Champion Igor "Houdini" Zinoviev. It was a martial artist vs. wrestler in a submission grappling Abu Dhabi-style event called the International Wrestling Forum: The Contenders with five three-minute rounds. Verissimo wore a Gi and jumped right to guard to open the first round. In the second, Van Arsdale tried to pass guard and Verissimo worked a choke from the bottom but most of the round was spent jockeying for position. Van Arsdale had a front-neck choke in the third but Verissimo went to the mat and they grappled for the rest of the period. In the fourth round, Verissimo again jumped to guard but Van Arsdale gained points by seizing his back. Renato attempted a kneebar but Mike turned out of it to apply a neck crank. Van Arsdale moves to side control and eventually gets the back again to unquestionably claim the round. They finish the fourth with Mike working for a possible keylock. The final round opens with a flop from Renato and shove to the mat by Mike. Van Arsdale looks to pass and does so, stacking Verissimo and avoids the danger of a triangle choke. Mike kept the pressure on and took the decision victory. The best part of the bout, and the whole event to be honest, was the constant bickering between John Perretti and Dan Gable. Both gentleman were proud spokespersons for their given disciplines and made the commentary quite humorous.
Verissimo/Gil Castillo: To the surprise of most everyone in attendance, the highly accomplished jiu-jitsu player opted to stand trade with UFC veteran and Cesar Gracie-disciple Gil Castillo. Over the course of the first two rounds Verissimo opened Gil up and had him bleeding profusely throughout. Gil couldn't come out for the third round and Renato had instantly earned himself a debut in the Octagon.
Verissimo/Carlos Newton: Verissimo came out to strike and Newton goes for the takedown. After a brief stand up, Newton scores another takedown and Verissimo is striking well from guard and nearly sinks an armbar. Renato sweeps Carlos, obtains mount and strikes him until Newton gives up his back. Carlos gets to his stomach but Renato stays with him and it appears Newton is lucky to get to the 1st round bell. A takedown attempt from Newton starts the second round but Verissimo refuse to go down and scores the takedown himself, landing in half guard. They scramble for position back and forth until Larry Landless stands them up. "Charuto" misses a high kick, Newton scores to the body with uppercuts and Verissimo answers with knees. Like a seasoned veteran, Verissimo gets another takedown, passes guard and begins punching Newton. Carlos turns and gets to his knees but Renato brings him back down and sinks a rear-choke just prior to the round two bell. Verissimo tags Newton with a right-left combo and brings Carlos to the mat. After a stand up, Newton is blasted with a knee and two hard right hands. He avoids a takedown and successfully takes Verissimo down, gaining side control but time is running out for Newton. Renato eventually escapes a headlock and takes Carlos down getting the half mount. As time runs out, Verissimo is on top and in control. He wins a unanimous decision over the former UFC welterweight champion.
Also worthy of note: Verissimo battled Shannon Ritch (No Contest)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: With a lengthy BJJ pedigree it goes without saying Verissimo's strength is his ground game. He's a decorated champion and has legitimate submission ability. However, much like Vitor Belfort, Verissimo has not relied on his grappling to pull out the win and instead has taken to winning battles on the feet with strikes. With five wins under his belt and a successful UFC debut, the secret is out. No one will underestimate his striking prowess in the future. As for a weakness, at this point in his career it comes down to experience. Having beaten Castillo and Newton, he's on the doorstep of a title shot.
HOW HE CAN BEAT HUGHES: On the mat by submission.When Hughes loses, and it's not often, it is because he reads a situation poorly and doesn't react as efficiently as he normally would. The submission wins by Hallman and Penn were very fast with very little set up. He simply got caught with the knee from "Pele." If Renato can overwhelm Hughes the way he did Newton with his constant movement and striking, he may be 2-0 in the UFC with wins over the last two champions.
MY PICK: Hughes. The former UFC welterweight champion hasn't developed a taste for losing and won't cultivate one here. I don't question Verissimo's skill or his win over Newton; this is going to be a lot more difficult to look as good this time. The pressure is off Hughes. He's also likely hungry to prove it was just an off night against Penn. I feel it will be Hughes by TKO from strikes in the 3rd Rd.
Hughes/Royce Gracie: The bout that was supposed to be the big draw at the 10th Anniversary show. The only way it could happen now is in Japan and you know what that means.
Verissimo/Frank Trigg: This was the original match up for this card. If Trigg looks OK, they should sign him again.
Verissimo/John Alessio: "The Natural" has lost twice in the four years he's been away from the Octagon. At 14-6, with wins over Ronald Jhun and Chris Brennan, he's long over due. Maybe he and Verissimo can have a bet -- loser has to permanently remove one letter "s" from his last name. Hmm, it sounded funnier before I wrote it down.
HISTORY: Matt began wrestling in high school and was a member of the High School All-America Wrestling Team his senior year. He won two, 145-pound Illinois High School State Wrestling titles and became a two-time junior college All-American. At Eastern Illinois University, Matt was a two-time NCAA All-American. He began fighting MMA in 1997 and has competed against many of the top fighters in the sport. He debuted in the UFC in 1999 and fought regularly for the organization beginning in 2001. He claimed his welterweight title at UFC 34 against Carlos Newton and fought for his 6th title defense against B.J. Penn at UFC 46.
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Hughes/Jose Landi-Jons: Hughes fought in the Shidokan Warrior's War 1 tournament and was also given the opportunity to get an early flight back to the home, courtesy of one Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons and a well-placed knee.
Hughes/Carlos Newton: A lot of people feel Matt Hughes got the
biggest gift of his career at UFC 34. One could easily argue that
given the fact Hughes and then UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos
Newton were both knocked out when they hit the canvas, the fighters
should've been restarted. The mysterious "first one to regain
consciousness wins" rule that was apparently used to govern their
match was, in a word, bogus. Both athletes fought a terrific
battle. After the first round it was anyone's fight. With that in
mind, it was a shame it ended the way it did and I feel a more
decisive victory was in order. But so be it, the bout is history.
Hughes left no question as to whether he was the champion in the
rematch, stopping Newton with strikes late in the fourth round at
UFC 38 in England.
Hughes/Hayato Sakurai: Hughes dominated the entire bout but Sakurai is always in a fight and can turn the tables quickly. However, it didn't happen here and Sakurai hasn't been quite as dominant since the loss. The fight opened very competitively. Sakurai threw a handful of kicks and had a near submission in the opening moments but from there on it was all Hughes. Hayato had not fought inside a cage before and had a hard time defending against Hughes' elbows. Sakurai caught Hughes with one good punch that momentarily stunned him but the rest of the bout was a series of slams by Matt to pound the fight right out of Hayato. In the fourth round, Hughes closed the deal by putting Sakurai against the fence and ground-n-pounding him until McCarthy pulled him off.
Hughes/Sean Sherk: It was a fight people had wanted to see for at least a year prior. Two fighters so evenly matched physically and stylistically. Both have excellent take down abilities and punishing ground-n-pound skills. Hughes dominated the first two rounds with good takedowns, positioning and opened a big cut over Sherk's right eye. It was taken care of in the corner and the bout continued. Sherk got two takedowns in round three and was able to land some strikes on the feet, some of which opened a cut over Hughes right eye. Again, it was nothing serious, and the bout continued. The fourth bout was dominated by Hughes again, throwing sharp elbows from the mat. And in the final round Sherk got a takedown but the fight was out of his hands at that point. Not only did Sean lose the decision but as a slap in the face, Zuffa terminated his contract.
Hughes/Frank Trigg: Trigg shoots in and gets an easy takedown but cannot establish mount. Hughes has Trigg's leg and slides out from underneath. They grapple back and forth to establish control with Trigg on top for most of the struggle. Hughes is able to sit out and grab Trigg's legs. This allows him to stand, slam Frank and take side position. From the bottom Trigg is working for a Kimura armlock. Matt frees himself and gets back to his knees and controls Frank's upper body. Trigg is able to grab a leg and bring Hughes to the mat where they fight inside Matt's guard. Punching down from a standing position, Trigg appears in control. They are constantly working to establish control of one another and the advantage changes rapidly. Hughes eventually gets Trigg's back with one hook in. They struggle but Hughes eventually gets the second leg in and establishes the rear choke. Trigg taps as he falls toward the floor and the belt stays around Matt Hughes' waist.
Hughes/B.J. Penn: They exchange strikes at the bell. Hughes goes for a takedown from the clinch but misses and falls to his back and Penn fights from inside Hughes' guard. Matt goes for an armlock and it allows Penn to seize Matt's back. Hughes attempts a foot lock and B.J. works back to guard. B.J. continuously tries to pass his guard and the second time he gets Hughes' back, Matt is in real trouble. Rather than defend the choke, Hughes works on Penn's legs and it allows B.J. to sink the choke for the win. With the pressure of defending the title for the 6th time (a possible UFC record that would have surpassed his mentor Pat Miletich) behind him, Hughes almost has a look of relief on his face. Also worthy of note Hughes battled: Victor Hunsaker (win/TKO), Valeri Ignatov (win/decision), Joe Doerksen (win/submission), Akihiro Gono (win/decision), Dave Menne (win/decision), LaVerne Clark (win/decision), Jorge Pereira (win/TKO), Alexandre Barros (win/decision), Marcelo Aguiar (win/TKO), Hiromitsu Kanehara (win/decision), Christopher Haseman (win/decision), Chatt Lavender (win/submission) and Gil Castillo (win/TKO)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: Wrestling is his main strength but his striking has come on in recent bouts. He is by no means a one-dimensional wrestler. His ground game has always been strong but Hughes is a fighter on top of the sport that continues to get better. He's just a superior athlete and it gets increasingly more difficult to attempt to narrow down a weakness. With athletes like Couture fighting to 40 years of age, at just 30 (his "prime" fighting years), we may see Matt Hughes for years to come.
HOW HE CAN BEAT VERISSIMO: By controlling him on the mat with his raw strength. Few fighters in the division are as physically strong as Hughes, and to be bounced around on the mat that way can chip away at the ego very quickly. If Hughes can get a trademark slam and open Verissimo up early, he may be able to take some of the fight out of the relative newcomer to MMA and cause him to leave himself open for further punishment.
RENATO VERISSIMO (Photo Gallery): Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter; 1996 Brasileiro Champion (Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Champion); placed 2nd in the 1996 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship; placed 3rd in the 1997 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship; 1997 Brasileiro Equipes Champion (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Competition Championship); placed 2nd in the 1997 Pan-American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament Championship, 1998 and 1999 Abu Dhabi World Submission Fighting Championships veteran; black belt in jiu-jitsu under Andre Pederneiras; trains with B. J. Penn, John Lewis, Andre Pederneiras and members of the Lewis/Pederneiras Vale Tudo Team and Nova Uniao as well as Egan Inoue and members of Grappling Unlimited; with a record of 5-0-1 in MMA; making his 2nd appearance (1-0) in the UFC.
History: Verissimo began training in judo at 12 years old and trained the art for four years. During his judo training he took up water polo and spent six years competing in that sport. This is also where he got his "Charuto" nickname, which means "cigar" in Portuguese. It was given to him by his water polo coach because there was another boy named Renato and at 6-foot-1 and 145 pounds, the instructor felt he was shaped like a stogie. Verissimo began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1993. He is 5-0-1 in the sport and this will be just his second bout outside his homeland of Hawaii.
Verissimo/Mike Van Arsdale: This was not MMA and Verissimo was originally supposed to face former Extreme Fighting Middleweight Champion Igor "Houdini" Zinoviev. It was a martial artist vs. wrestler in a submission grappling Abu Dhabi-style event called the International Wrestling Forum: The Contenders with five three-minute rounds. Verissimo wore a Gi and jumped right to guard to open the first round. In the second, Van Arsdale tried to pass guard and Verissimo worked a choke from the bottom but most of the round was spent jockeying for position. Van Arsdale had a front-neck choke in the third but Verissimo went to the mat and they grappled for the rest of the period. In the fourth round, Verissimo again jumped to guard but Van Arsdale gained points by seizing his back. Renato attempted a kneebar but Mike turned out of it to apply a neck crank. Van Arsdale moves to side control and eventually gets the back again to unquestionably claim the round. They finish the fourth with Mike working for a possible keylock. The final round opens with a flop from Renato and shove to the mat by Mike. Van Arsdale looks to pass and does so, stacking Verissimo and avoids the danger of a triangle choke. Mike kept the pressure on and took the decision victory. The best part of the bout, and the whole event to be honest, was the constant bickering between John Perretti and Dan Gable. Both gentleman were proud spokespersons for their given disciplines and made the commentary quite humorous.
Verissimo/Gil Castillo: To the surprise of most everyone in attendance, the highly accomplished jiu-jitsu player opted to stand trade with UFC veteran and Cesar Gracie-disciple Gil Castillo. Over the course of the first two rounds Verissimo opened Gil up and had him bleeding profusely throughout. Gil couldn't come out for the third round and Renato had instantly earned himself a debut in the Octagon.
Verissimo/Carlos Newton: Verissimo came out to strike and Newton goes for the takedown. After a brief stand up, Newton scores another takedown and Verissimo is striking well from guard and nearly sinks an armbar. Renato sweeps Carlos, obtains mount and strikes him until Newton gives up his back. Carlos gets to his stomach but Renato stays with him and it appears Newton is lucky to get to the 1st round bell. A takedown attempt from Newton starts the second round but Verissimo refuse to go down and scores the takedown himself, landing in half guard. They scramble for position back and forth until Larry Landless stands them up. "Charuto" misses a high kick, Newton scores to the body with uppercuts and Verissimo answers with knees. Like a seasoned veteran, Verissimo gets another takedown, passes guard and begins punching Newton. Carlos turns and gets to his knees but Renato brings him back down and sinks a rear-choke just prior to the round two bell. Verissimo tags Newton with a right-left combo and brings Carlos to the mat. After a stand up, Newton is blasted with a knee and two hard right hands. He avoids a takedown and successfully takes Verissimo down, gaining side control but time is running out for Newton. Renato eventually escapes a headlock and takes Carlos down getting the half mount. As time runs out, Verissimo is on top and in control. He wins a unanimous decision over the former UFC welterweight champion.
Also worthy of note: Verissimo battled Shannon Ritch (No Contest)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: With a lengthy BJJ pedigree it goes without saying Verissimo's strength is his ground game. He's a decorated champion and has legitimate submission ability. However, much like Vitor Belfort, Verissimo has not relied on his grappling to pull out the win and instead has taken to winning battles on the feet with strikes. With five wins under his belt and a successful UFC debut, the secret is out. No one will underestimate his striking prowess in the future. As for a weakness, at this point in his career it comes down to experience. Having beaten Castillo and Newton, he's on the doorstep of a title shot.
HOW HE CAN BEAT HUGHES: On the mat by submission.When Hughes loses, and it's not often, it is because he reads a situation poorly and doesn't react as efficiently as he normally would. The submission wins by Hallman and Penn were very fast with very little set up. He simply got caught with the knee from "Pele." If Renato can overwhelm Hughes the way he did Newton with his constant movement and striking, he may be 2-0 in the UFC with wins over the last two champions.
MY PICK: Hughes. The former UFC welterweight champion hasn't developed a taste for losing and won't cultivate one here. I don't question Verissimo's skill or his win over Newton; this is going to be a lot more difficult to look as good this time. The pressure is off Hughes. He's also likely hungry to prove it was just an off night against Penn. I feel it will be Hughes by TKO from strikes in the 3rd Rd.
Hughes/Royce Gracie: The bout that was supposed to be the big draw at the 10th Anniversary show. The only way it could happen now is in Japan and you know what that means.
Verissimo/Frank Trigg: This was the original match up for this card. If Trigg looks OK, they should sign him again.
Verissimo/John Alessio: "The Natural" has lost twice in the four years he's been away from the Octagon. At 14-6, with wins over Ronald Jhun and Chris Brennan, he's long over due. Maybe he and Verissimo can have a bet -- loser has to permanently remove one letter "s" from his last name. Hmm, it sounded funnier before I wrote it down.
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