MMA Crunch

Every year, ESPN honors the top athletes in the world with its annual presentation of the ESPY Awards. Thirty seven awards are handed out among thirty seven different categories. And although the ESPY’s have been around since 1993, this is a monumental year. It is the first time a mixed martial artist have ever been nominated in one of those thirty seven categories.

Prior to this year, no other fighter, event or moment in the realm of mma has ever made it to the ESPYs as a nominee, let alone a winner. The groundbreaking nominee who will be a part of history is Georges St. Pierre. He is nominated in the best fighter category going up against four boxers. Kelly Pavlik, Floyd Mayweather, Joe Calzaghe and Holly Holm will be his competition.

This past year, GSP actually lost a fight to Matt Serra. That loss could very well affect his chances of taking home an ESPY. Nevertheless, this is not solely about winning. The world of mixed martial arts has already won given the simple fact that GSP was even nominated. That alone shows that the sport of mma can no longer be ignored by mainstream America.

Arguments could be made as to whether or not GSP is a pound for pound better fighter than the four boxers who are also nominated. But this nomination is not about whether or not any of those boxers could even last a minute inside the cage. Boxing has been around for centuries and has an illustrious history, regardless of how many modern day pugilists try to tarnish its legacy. Mixed martial arts, on the other hand, is just beginning to make history.

Throughout the course of any history, many battles have been fought and won. But before those battles ever translated into victory, there was always someone who came before; someone who began to chart the path to victory. Rarely if ever does someone succeed on their first try at anything. In light of that, it is highly doubtful that GSP will hear his name announced as the winner at this year’s ESPY Awards.

That doesn’t mean St. Pierre’s nomination is all for not. His nomination among the best fighters in the world has made a statement that the ultimate fighters of the world can no longer be excluded from such a category. And that is likely to lead to a future in which more mixed martial artists could even be recognized in their own separate category. So win or lose at the ESPY Awards, GSP has already claimed a victory for his sport.

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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.

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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.

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