The Canadian Press has yet another great story. The nice thing about this story is that there are quotes from all over the place from Hughes, Liddell, and others about the upcoming fights. It is really a coupling of many sources, but a very good read and nice to see in a concise format (instead of reading every article on the web).
Matt Hughes sounds supremely confident in his recent interview with Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. He speaks very highly of his fan base which frequent his website forum and, in his words, ‘Write my paychecks.’
Matt’s quote on the upcoming GSP fight says it all:
“There are quite a few reasons. Number one, I was in great shape when I got the phone call about Serra (being injured), so I wanted to fight. And I do want that rematch with Georges – I want it bad. I want that rematch just as much as Georges wants that rematch with Matt Serra. I could have taken a lesser opponent, but nobody really would have been happy there. This is the fight the UFC wants, this is the fight I want, and this is the fight the fans want, so this is a no lose situation the way I look at it, and that’s how I made my choice, because everyone’s a winner in the end.”
Matt goes on to talk about Georges’ strategy and fighting style:
“He’s very athletic and that’s probably the biggest difficulty right there. He’s not a great wrestler, and to be honest, he’s not a super great striker, but he’s just very athletic and he mixes things together very well. That’s how he was able to outwrestle (Josh) Koscheck – he could tie everything together very well. If you go back and watch the fight with Matt Serra, you could honestly say Matt Serra could have been winning that fight before knocking him (St-Pierre) out. Matt Serra came in there with a great game plan and Georges was hopping around there and never really landed any effective strikes, and Serra did get some hands on him, so Georges wasn’t winning that standup war when he got caught. He’s very athletic, very good with his hips, and that’s the biggest problem right there with Georges St-Pierre. He’s also got great endurance, so you can count on him being in there the whole time; I don’t think he’s ever gonna get tired.”
This interview shows that Matt Hughes is READY for this fight and believes that he has the right tools to win. Our predictions STANDS!!!! Matt Hughes will win this fight by submission – look for GSP to get slammed to the matt on more than one occassion in this battle.
Georges talks about the upcoming UFC 79 Matt Hughes fight. He talks about Matt and how the first 2 fights went. He talks about his training partners and why he has the advantage over Matt.
ESPN has a great interview video with Matt Hughes. He talks about Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre. Talks about his concerns in fighting St. Pierre as far as the game plan goes and why he really wants to fight Georges.
Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre are readying themselves for their 3rd UFC bout. The first fight (UFC 50) between these two champions ended in a quick arm-bar by Matt Hughes in the first round and a Welterweight Belt win. In their rematch, 1 year later (November of 2006) St-Pierre reigned supreme with a 2nd round knockout solidifying the need for a ‘rubber match’.On December 29th, 2007 the next UFC event, dubbed ‘Nemesis‘ will allow Matt Hughes to avenge his latest loss to Georges St-Pierre in on of the most highly anticipated rematches in UFC history.
Direct from Matt’s Blog Matt Hughes says:
As most of you know, Serra has dropped out of the fight due to a back injury. I found out and was told that I get to basically pick my opponent. The UFC had called some welterweights, some said they wouldn’t take the fight; but ultimately I got to choose and I chose Georges St. Pierre. I asked to fight GSP.I think there are a few things that will be in my favor in doing this. I get to fight in Vegas, what I consider my home fighting area, NOT Canada. I don’t think it’s a big deal to switch an opponent over a month out, it’s just not a concern for me. Before I was fighting a guy holding the belt, now I’m fighting a guy that I consider number two in the world. Anyone who thinks this fight will be like the second fight with GSP will be shown wrong on December 29th. THIS IS MY FIGHT!
Georges St-Pierre has been quoted as saying:
I’m so excited to get this fight. I’m fighting Matt Hughes for the interim title right now, and then after that I’m going to go after Serra. I’ve wanted that rematch against Serra, and this is the best scenario that can happen.
It’s going to be an amazing fight and the lines are already out! To take advantage of the best UFC 79 Betting Lines.
