Serra VS. Hughes not in NJ, and not in November
by: Average Joe 1 year, 4 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours, 20 minutes ago 5
Email Article Print ArticleIt looks as if the two will square off in a New Year’s Eve PPV event instead.
In a bulletin from his Myspace account, UFC Welterweight Champion Matt “The Terra” Serra reports that his first title defense against former champion Matt Hughes will NOT be taking place in his hometown of New Jersey, and will not be happening in November like earlier reports indicated.
Not only was a recent report of a Michael Bisping vs. Ken Shamrock fight incorrect, but UFC president Dana White says that he hasn’t spoken to Shamrock and has no plans to include him on a future UFC fight card.
Kevin Iole has the report at Yahoo! Sports.
When the UFC first announced that UFC 75 would take place in London on Sept. 8, Bisping was the first fighter officially added to the fight card. The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight winner and U.K. fighter has been a key part of the UFC’s efforts to expand into the European market.
However, soon after Ticketmaster announced Bisping’s would face castmate Matt Hamill at UFC 75, The Fight Network reported Shamrock would instead be his opponent. In fact, Shamrock even told NBCSports.com that he was dealing directly with White for a deal that would bring the 43-year-old UFC Hall of Famer back to the Octagon.
Not true, says the UFC president.
As White told Yahoo! Sports:
“I don’t know if he wants to fight, but we haven’t spoken to him and I’m not planning to use him.“
Shamrock has lost his past four fights — and six of seven overall. In fact, he has just one MMA victory in the past seven years.
Although his stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 3 temporarily brought him back into the UFC spotlight, two subsequent losses to rival Tito Ortiz ended much of the resurgence.
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (41-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who’s currently serving as coach and taping the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, will next fight at a New Year’s Eve event — not at a New Jersey in November event as was previously reported.
That’s the word from Hughes, who posted the announcement in a forum on his Web site, matt-hughes.com.
UFC president Dana White recently announced that Hughes’ next fight would be against current champ Matt Serra (8-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who won the belt by upsetting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 in April. Like Hughes, Serra is currently in Las Vegas serving as a coach on the Spike TV reality series.
The Ultimate Fighter 6, which is expected to debut in September and feature 16 170-pound fighters, will be used as a promotional vehicle to hype the fight. Serra has made no secret of his disdain for Hughes in recent weeks.
Last week, the Wrestling Observer reported that the Hughes vs. Serra title fight would headline a November event at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. For whatever reason, though, Hughes has been told his fight will happen on Dec. 29.
As Hughes wrote:
I have been told that it will be in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve. I do not know where yet, MGM or Mandalay Bay. I would not make plans yet — just letting you know, Matt
The UFC traditionally hosts a major pay-per-view event on the last Saturday of each calendar year.
Serra won the belt in April, and doesn’t have to defend it until December....what’s up with that? Nothing against Serra since I know it’s not his doing but what’s up with the UFC making their champions wait an absurd amount of time before defending their belts. Rampage has to defend in Sept, and against Dan Henderson no less.
Weird stuff. Sherk should’ve been stripped of that belt 6 months after not being able to defend it.
I guess Hughes has to wait another 6 months before getting his belt back.
Ah, the Hugh’s nuthugger in Joe surfaces
Funny how it always boils down to some kind of hugging of the nuts with you. Call it whatever your homoerotic mind wants to call it, Hughes needs to get his belt back.
LoL. Your too easy to rile. Gosh what fun.
I miss you guys doing this act over on the comics side of Komikazee. Too funny! Guess I will just have to come over here to catch it.
D.M., you need to drop over and comment when you have time.