Knee Surgery Not In Hughes Future

Submitted by KingLev on August 27, 2008 - 5:33pm.

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (42-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who's still on the mend following a knee injury he suffered in a June loss to Thiago Alves, received some good news from his doctor this week.

Hughes reported that his latest MRI and a stress X-ray "came back very positive" and that he probably won't need surgery.

Hughes shared the news in a blog entry on his official site, matt-hughes.com.

"I still have to go back for my three-month check-up to find out more, but as of right now, I can do more and start exercising a little bit," he wrote on Tuesday.

Hughes, who suffered a second-round TKO to Alves at UFC 85, was floored by a flying knee in the fight, and his leg buckled underneath the weight of his body as he hit the mat. As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported soon after the fight, Hughes said he had suffered a "totally torn MCL" and "partially torn PCL," but even then, he was optimistic he could avoid surgery.

Despite losses in three of his past four fights, Hughes remains one of the UFC's most recognizable stars. The longtime champion and two-time coach on "The Ultimate Fighter" is expected to fight former title-holder Matt Serra upon his return to the UFC.

We all know he has one fight left and that's against Serra. When I first became a fan of The UFC I really liked Hughes and had a ton of respect for him, now I can't stand him. He is pompous and arrogant and has no respect for anyone but himself. He had no right to make the comments about GSP after his bout with Fitch, either guy would have destroyed Hughes that night or any night for that matter. He was a great fighter a great champion and a great ambassador for the UFC. Now it's his time to ride his tractor into the sunset.