Jon Fitch vs. Matt Hughes
 

What do you think?

I think Fitch might be a little too evolved at this stage for Hughes to beat him. Mind you I'm a huge die hard Hughes fan but I'm also a realist.

I think this fight is closer then a lot of people will give it credit for. Its not like Fitch is a lethal striker who is going to KO Hughes. At the end of the day this would become a wrestling match and Hughes on paper is a better wrestler then Fitch. But I think Fitch wins this fight 6 out of 10 times in a battle of takedowns.

But if this fight happened in like 2003-2005 Hughes smashes Fitch.

Fitch would win by boring decision.

agreed.

Yess, this match definitely comes down to age.

In Matt's prime, he would have outwrestled and beat Fitch on his best day.

But NOW...Fitch takes it because Matt's old. If he wasn't facing Renzo in his last fight, he would have gotten smashed by any striker, and outwrestled by any of the other young, up and coming wrestlers. I think Almeida is going to finish him.

I agree with everything you said but the bold part. Almeida is tailored made for Hughes right now. He is not a strong wrestler or striker so Hughes does not have to worry about being put on his back or getting KOed. On top of all that Hughes' BJJ is probably equal to Almieda's BJJ. At the end of the day one could argue Hughes is better at every aspect of MMA when compared to Almeida.

?????!!!!

I'm calling shenanigans, right here.


And don't give me any nonsense about MMA-BJJ either.


Hughes is a high-level grappler. He has solid submission defense, very solid for a non-black belt. He does not have the Big Dog's submission game, not even close.

rh

Today...Fitch
2-3 years ago...Hughes

I know it was 10 years ago but Hughes did beat Almeida at ADCC back when Hughes was just a wrestler getting submitted by the likes of Dennis Hallman. Hughes since then has become one of the best grapplers in MMA history and Almeida has stayed pretty much the same. Sure he has gotten better but not by the same leaps and bounds Hughes has. Age has caught up to Hughes but its not like Almeida is a young gun and in a grappling match Hughes would more then hold his own with Almeida and prehaps even beat him... again.

Of course I could be wrong, Almeida could develope the wrestling game it takes to put Hughes on his back and submit him. Or maybe the striking it takes to keep Hughes off balance and KO him. But just looking at his past fights I just do not see what Almeida offers Hughes and why so many people think he is going to win with ease.

Do not discount the strength that Hughes still has.

About 7 years ago my coach was training and MFS and was rolling with hughes he said that he had hughes in scarfhold and hughes just fucking stood up and picked him up.

I think in a grappling match Hughes would win on points I don't think Almeida could deal with his power or ability to nuetralize other peoples jitz... See Matt Serra.