Sometime in the future there could finally emerge a winner in the battle of the Matts. For there is no disputing that Matt Serra and Matt Hughes both want to fight one another. There is also no disputing that each will need a bit of time to prepare for the fight. Serra is just returning to training after hurting his elbow in his UFC 83 loss against Georges St. Pierre. Hughes, on the other hand, is nursing a knee injury suffered in his latest defeat that came at the hands of Thiago Alves.

There has always been bad blood between the two and Hughes wants a final crack at Serra before a possible retirement. If the bout does take place, it will likely happen at the end of the year. Yet, both have recently voiced their desire to make the match a reality.

A victory over Serra may be a last ditch effort at glory for Hughes. After getting utterly dominated by Alves, Hughes may be looking to end his UFC career with a bang. Yet, it could be Serra that sends Hughes out with a bang. Hughes just didn’t look like the same fighter who used to steamroll over opponents. That intense fire of ambition that was always lit within him seems to be extinguished. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that a fight against Serra could rekindle that flame.

Serra is also chomping at the bit for a showdown with Hughes. Even though both are coming off losses, the fight has enough allure to still be considered a main event. And such an event can finally silence both fighters as only one Matt will be able to raise his hand in victory.

During the time leading up to any fight, mixed martial artists always keep a watchful eye on what they put into their body. Their diet is critical and sometimes even vital to their success in the cage. Weight limits are also set as a prerequisite before any fight. At times, fighters even fail to make the appropriate weight. Yet, in the world of mixed martial arts, the fight must go on.

Matt Hughes recently felt the wrath of a heavier opponent when Thiago Alves pummeled him during UFC 85. The fight was dubbed a catchweight bout, nevertheless the fight went on even after Alves failed to make weight. And although Hughes loss the fight, he did what he had to win the battle of the scales. The longtime UFC journeyman has been maintaining his fighting weight for more than a decade with a strict regimented diet.

Hughes’ training blog reads, “I try and eat meals as if I was stranded on an island In other words, I want all the nutrients my body needs to survive to come from the food and nothing extra.”

Hughes’ diet consists of lots of fish and chicken and an occasional steak to provide the 170 pounder with protein. Hoards of vegetables also make their way into his six to seven daily meals. Most mma fighters follow a diet very consistent with Hughes. However, other fighters often take on a different approach.

The Faber Diet

WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber enjoys a diet that borders on vegetarianism. Raised by parents who were hippies, Faber was introduced to a homeopathic diet at a very early age. Growing up, he was taught to live and crave a healthy diet although his parents were not strict vegetarians. Now, Faber has adapted that diet which enables him to maintain a peak physical condition.

Although Faber eats a largely vegetarian diet, he does manage to mix in his share of chicken. With a target of 5,000 calories per day, Faber takes in a lot of soy and recently delved into the world of supplements to achieve that goal.

In a recent issue of Muscle and Fitness Magazine Faber was quoted saying, “Lately I’ve been having trouble keeping my weight up, so I’ve been getting extra calories with a shake supplement. I put soy milk, peanut butter and bananas in it.”

The diet seems to be working very well for Faber as he continues to cruise through the ranks of the WEC.

On to the Vegan

Over in the UFC, Max Danzig won’t eat anything tainted with meat. The vegan excludes all animal derived products from his diet, including honey and gelatin.

“I’m Mac Danzig and I’m a vegan”, Danzig said in a new advertisement for Peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization for which Danzig is a spokesperson.

“Animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses don’t have a fighting chance,” Danzig continued. “I don’t eat animals because I don’t want to contribute to their suffering, it’s that simple. Do yourself a favor, do the planet a favor, and help end animal abuse. Go veg.”

With a professional record of 19-4-1, the vegan diet is currently boding pretty well for Danzig. However, he has to work that much harder to supply his body with all the nutrients necessary to be a prolific mma fighter.

The Champ’s diet

UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is an advocate of a high Alkaline diet and has even attributed past victories to that diet. An Alkaline diet is based on the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes while avoiding grains, dairy, meat and excess salt. This is done in order to balance the acidity and alkalinity (the pH balance) of the body.

In an past interview with bodybuilding.com, Couture explained, “There was a huge difference when I changed my eating habits when I went on a high alkaline, more natural raw food diet. I notice that with the same workouts, the same circuit training routines, I get some muscle soreness, but I seem to recover faster and better.”

Couture has also come out with his own line of supplements called Couture Nutrition. He told bodybuilding.com how that venture came about.

“We have things that I always wanted to use or have used over the years to get me through training or help me recover from training. That is where the line came from. It just came out of seeing a need of what I needed as an athlete. Not based in bodybuilding or from any other perspective that many other nutrition companies are coming from. It is truly an athletic based line.”

For most athletes, diet is one of the most important elements of their game. Failure to maintain a proper diet will undoubtedly factor into their performance. And in the world of mixed martial arts, diet may play an even more crucial role. In a sport where every pound counts, it is wise to count every calorie, carb and gram before the time comes to step into the cage.

This past Saturday night was probably the last time MMA legend Matt Hughes will ever headline a UFC fight card. The event was entitled bedlam and, after Hughes’ overwhelming defeat, that may be the perfect word to describe his future. The 34 year-old Hughes has never lost three out of four fights during his illustrious career. Furthermore, he has never been man-handled quite the way he was at UFC 85.

The tide may have turned as 24 year-old Thiago Alves came out and dominated Hughes en route to a second round victory. Hughes’ run for a third welterweight championship was foiled and it is likely that Alves will now be the one making a title run. Alves was better in ever facet of the game, particularly with his tenacity. Hughes just didn’t have the same killer instinct he has displayed in years’ past.

So what lies ahead for Hughes? Bedlam like he has never known before. Saturday night provided tangible evidence that Hughes’ career may be winding down. More and more, excuses have surfaced as reasons for Hughes’ recent lack of success. A lapse in training and a devotion to his status as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter have been two of the scapegoats scurrying through the UFC rumor mill. But in the past, no scapegoats ever mulled within Hughes’ vicinity. There comes a time in every fighter’s career that he must acknowledge that his once superior skills are declining. Sooner or later, every fighter must step out of the octagon for the very last time. That day may be rapidly closing in on Hughes’ future.

Bedlam also found its way into a few other fights during Saturday night’s action. Brandon Vera lost by a technical knockout to Fabricio Werdum in the first round of their heavyweight bout . The questionable stoppage came with only twenty seconds left in the first round after Werdum unleashed a flurry of blows on Vera. However, none of the blows appeared to be that ferocious and Vera seemed capable of weathering Werdum’s storm. A visibly upset Vera pleaded his case immediately following the stoppage, but his pleas were to no avail.

Bedlam could also be the best way to describe the judge’s scorecards following Thales Leites’ split decision victory over Nate Marquardt. Marquardt suffered some point deductions, but still seemed to do plenty in order to emerge victorious. Leites showed tremendous heart staying in the fight, but the only thing he truly proved was that he could take a beating. Utter shock spread across Marquardt’s face following the decision and it looked as if some similar shockwave’s traced across Leites’ face as well.

Yet, the main spotlight remained focused on Hughes’ defeat and what it will do not only to his future, but the future of the sport. Hughes has been one of the reasons the UFC has grown in popularity over the last decade. He has also been one of the most recognizable faces in the world of mixed martial arts. Now, that face may be starting to fade away. Hughes insists that he will fight once more, hoping to meet Matt Serra in the Octagon. But after his recent performances, that might not be such a favorable idea for Hughes or the sport. Hughes’ heart may be willing, but his body isn’t what it once was.

Hughes first showed signs of slowing down when Georges St. Pierre handed him the fifth loss of his career in November of 2006. A rematch against GSP more than a year later netted the same results. Hughes proclaimed he would return and make an unprecedented third run at the welterweight title, but he wasn’t counting on Alves. Now, more than ever, a title run will be extremely difficult and may even bordering on improbable. Not only has the incurable disease of age started to gain ground on Hughes, but so has the competition. The crowded pool of fighters is much deeper than it was when Hughes first broke onto the scene. And, at the ripe old age of 34, Hughes doesn’t have the same skills needed to fight off that competition.

In essence, the level of competition Hughes helped create is exactly what has led to his demise. That simple fact in itself has its fair share of bedlam, not to mention irony. As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to grow, it is a likelihood that not too many fighters will be able to experience the same type of reign that Hughes once enjoyed. And his most recent loss should not affect his legendary status, although it will affect his future.

Royce Gracie recently returned to the octagon only to show that he was not what the champion he once was. Ironically, Gracie’s final defeat came at the hand of Hughes. Perhaps Hughes can now look back and learn something from that bout. Hindsight may teach him that even the greatest of champions cannot retain their elite status forever. A continued pursuit of a third title may turn out to mar an otherwise stellar career. Now that so many eyes are fixed to the world of mixed martial arts, many could look back on Hughes’ career and simply remember the unfortunate series of defeats that ended his career. Such a remembrance wouldn’t be fair to Hughes or the sport. In fact, such thinking could be considered sheer and utter bedlam.

UFC 85 Bedlam “Hughes vs. Alves” Videos

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