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Hughes dominates Gracie at UFC 60; President hints at possible Pendleton event

30 May 2005 | Sgt. Luis R. Agostini Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

LOS ANGELES -- Matt Hughes proved mixed martial arts has evolved since the "no-holds-barred" days in the early-1990s with his ground-and-pound victory over Royce Gracie at "UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie" Saturday night at the Staples Center.

Hughes (39-4), the current UFC welterweight (156-170 pounds) champion, defeated the man who introduced Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the modern world, Royce Gracie (13-3-3), in a 175-pound, non-title fight. Hughes only needed 4:39 of Round 1 to prove that he is the top welterweight in the world.

Previously undefeated in Octagon competition, Gracie believed his legendary feats of submitting much larger opponents with minimal restrictions and nonexistent time limits would fare well in the "new" UFC, which since 2001, has operated with weight classes, rounds, judges and state athletic commission regulations.

After a brief exchange of leg kicks and jabs to start the main event, Hughes scored a takedown on Gracie. From there, Hughes dominated Gracie at will. After an attempted kimura armlock, Hughes mounted Gracie's back and delivered crushing left and right hooks to the head until referee "Big" John McCarthy stopped the fight.

"I never would've thought it would've went like that. Who would've thought I would've went through his guard," Hughes said.

Hughes was confident from the beginning that he would dominate Gracie, and after the fight said that there's not much pride in taking out an opponent who he believes can no longer hang with the current crop of fighters.

"I can't walk away from this fight and be real excited about it, when Royce Gracie shouldnt have taken this fight in the first place," Hughes added.

Hughes now looks at a title defense against French-Canadian George "Rush" St. Pierre, who he previously defeated at UFC 49.

Two San Diegans walked out of the Staples Center victorious, and one step closer to title fights in their weight classes.

Brandon "The Truth" Vera, of San Diego's City Boxing Training Center, defeated Assuerio Silva with a guillotine choke at 2:39 of the first round in a heavyweight (206+ pounds). Vera improves his UFC record to 3-0 and his overall MMA record to 6-0.

Vera's critics have stated that the "small" heavyweight should drop to the light-heavyweight ranks. Vera has proven for the third time that he belongs with "the big dogs."

"Three in, three out, baby!" said Vera, of his UFC opponents.

Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister, from The Boxing Club in San Diego, took out made his UFC debut in a light-heavyweight bout (186-205 pounds) against Alessio Sakara with a triangle choke at 2:20 of the first round.

In other UFC action, Diego Sanchez defeated John Alessio by unanimous decision, Melvin Guillard defeated Rick Davis by knockout at 1:37 of Round 1, Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Fabiano Scherner by TKO at :24 of Round 2, Spencer Fisher knocked out Matt Wiman with a flying knee at
1:43 of Round 2, Jeremy Horn submitted Chael Sonnen with an armbar at
1:17 of Round 2, and Mike Swick defeated Joe Riggs with a guillotine choke, or as he calls it, the "Swickotine," at 2:19 of Round 1.

The Hollywood crowd was in full force at the STAPLES Center. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, James Caan, Paris Hilton, Nicholas Cage, David Spade, Everlast, Paul Walker, Shawn, Marlon and Keenan Ivory Wayans, Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven from HBO's "Entourage" watched all eight fights from the ground floor.

The UFC returns to Las Vegas after two successful events in California for "UFC 62: Bitter Rivals," when Tito Ortiz squares off against Ken Shamrock, and current UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia faces Andrei Arlovski.

UFC president Dana White hopes to return to California in the near future, and has even hinted at running a UFC event at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hughes dominates Gracie at UFC 60; President hints at possible Pendleton event

30 May 2005 | Sgt. Luis R. Agostini Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

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LOS ANGELES -- Matt Hughes proved mixed martial arts has evolved since the "no-holds-barred" days in the early-1990s with his ground-and-pound victory over Royce Gracie at "UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie" Saturday night at the Staples Center.

Hughes (39-4), the current UFC welterweight (156-170 pounds) champion, defeated the man who introduced Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the modern world, Royce Gracie (13-3-3), in a 175-pound, non-title fight. Hughes only needed 4:39 of Round 1 to prove that he is the top welterweight in the world.

Previously undefeated in Octagon competition, Gracie believed his legendary feats of submitting much larger opponents with minimal restrictions and nonexistent time limits would fare well in the "new" UFC, which since 2001, has operated with weight classes, rounds, judges and state athletic commission regulations.

After a brief exchange of leg kicks and jabs to start the main event, Hughes scored a takedown on Gracie. From there, Hughes dominated Gracie at will. After an attempted kimura armlock, Hughes mounted Gracie's back and delivered crushing left and right hooks to the head until referee "Big" John McCarthy stopped the fight.

"I never would've thought it would've went like that. Who would've thought I would've went through his guard," Hughes said.

Hughes was confident from the beginning that he would dominate Gracie, and after the fight said that there's not much pride in taking out an opponent who he believes can no longer hang with the current crop of fighters.

"I can't walk away from this fight and be real excited about it, when Royce Gracie shouldnt have taken this fight in the first place," Hughes added.

Hughes now looks at a title defense against French-Canadian George "Rush" St. Pierre, who he previously defeated at UFC 49.

Two San Diegans walked out of the Staples Center victorious, and one step closer to title fights in their weight classes.

Brandon "The Truth" Vera, of San Diego's City Boxing Training Center, defeated Assuerio Silva with a guillotine choke at 2:39 of the first round in a heavyweight (206+ pounds). Vera improves his UFC record to 3-0 and his overall MMA record to 6-0.

Vera's critics have stated that the "small" heavyweight should drop to the light-heavyweight ranks. Vera has proven for the third time that he belongs with "the big dogs."

"Three in, three out, baby!" said Vera, of his UFC opponents.

Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister, from The Boxing Club in San Diego, took out made his UFC debut in a light-heavyweight bout (186-205 pounds) against Alessio Sakara with a triangle choke at 2:20 of the first round.

In other UFC action, Diego Sanchez defeated John Alessio by unanimous decision, Melvin Guillard defeated Rick Davis by knockout at 1:37 of Round 1, Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Fabiano Scherner by TKO at :24 of Round 2, Spencer Fisher knocked out Matt Wiman with a flying knee at
1:43 of Round 2, Jeremy Horn submitted Chael Sonnen with an armbar at
1:17 of Round 2, and Mike Swick defeated Joe Riggs with a guillotine choke, or as he calls it, the "Swickotine," at 2:19 of Round 1.

The Hollywood crowd was in full force at the STAPLES Center. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, James Caan, Paris Hilton, Nicholas Cage, David Spade, Everlast, Paul Walker, Shawn, Marlon and Keenan Ivory Wayans, Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven from HBO's "Entourage" watched all eight fights from the ground floor.

The UFC returns to Las Vegas after two successful events in California for "UFC 62: Bitter Rivals," when Tito Ortiz squares off against Ken Shamrock, and current UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia faces Andrei Arlovski.

UFC president Dana White hopes to return to California in the near future, and has even hinted at running a UFC event at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.