Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida and Matt Hughes are set to throw down August 7th at UFC 117 in Oakland, CA. Though not being technically "official" yet, both Hughes and Almeida have confirmed the bout taking place.
“The UFC hasn’t told me I can release this yet, but I’m going to go ahead and say that I’ve done my paperwork to fight Ricardo Almeida on August 7th, in Oakland, CA,” he wrote. “A lot of you know my history with the UFC, I’ve never turned down a fight and this is who they asked me to fight next.”
With the masses love for good sports related storylines, this showdown has many. Do they matter? Are they good ones? That's up to your opinion, but I can't wait for this fight. Not being the biggest fan of Matt Hughes, I love the fact he will truly have to work for this win if he is able to pull it off.
But getting the win will be tough.
Almeida is on the comeback trail after a 3 year layoff to focus on running his jiu-jitsu gym. A comeback that has seen him cruise to a 4-1 record since, dispatching the likes of Matt Brown, Kendall Grove, Matt Horwich, and going the distance in a tough split decision loss against Patrick Cote. A world class jiu-jitsu ace, and cardio beast, this man is dangerous. This could be the fight that finally starts Hughes slide to average fighter status after years of a dominate presence in the UFC.
The latest episode that sets the stage for this fight, is Hughes big win over fighting legend Renzo Gracie. This after hammering on Matt Sera in 2009 and Royce in 2006. Also adding fuel to the hype is the little known fact that Hughes defeated Almeida at the ADCC Submission Wrestling Championship back in 2000. As competitive as the "Big Dog" is , that surely has been a tough loss to get over and no doubt plays huge in this latest chapter of Gracie fighters vs. Hughes.
“I asked for [Matt Hughes] immediately after the Renzo [Gracie] fight [at UFC 112]. It’s been in the works, and for my part, I signed the bout agreement and I’m looking forward to it. It’s definitely a good angle. It’s a good way of promoting the fight. For me, I’m just a competitive guy. Actually, Matt Hughes beat me like ten years ago in a grappling match. Am I going to be motivated because he beat Renzo? Absolutely. I was there in the corner, you know, I want that win. For me and for the team. But other than that, it’s just competition.”
"Sure it's just a competition!"
Haven't the Gracie men learned from past bouts with Hughes? Just saying!
and remember....You Can't Win, Unless You STEP IN.
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