From the beginning of the fight, it was clear that Koscheck was the bigger, more aggressive fighter in the stand-up. Hughes displayed good defense, showing that he came in anticipating a stand-up fight. Unfortunately for fans of the legend, Koscheck was simply too much. He finally managed to stagger Hughes late in the round, then never let up, earning the KO with mere seconds left in the round. Post-fight, a visibly teary Matt Hughes thanked the crowd, but insisted that he wasn't officially retiring just yet, instead asking the UFC to put him "on the shelf."
What was the high spot of this fight?
The fight ending combo showed good aggression and finishing tendencies from Koscheck, which is more than a lot of fighters with a wrestling base can claim. It was sad to see Hughes go down like that, but it was an impressive attack from Kos.
Where do these guys go from here?
Josh Koscheck finds himself in a tough spot. He is obviously still near the top of the Welterweight division, but there's really no reason for him to get a third shot at St. Pierre. So, where does he go? His brash personality makes him the kind of fighter who can make a relatively meaningless fight compelling, so maybe it's time for him to have some outside the box grudge matches. Before Diego went down, there was talk of either Koscheck vs. Stephan Bonnar, or, building off of a 7 year old grudge, Koscheck vs. Chris Leben. Either one would be fun.
Matt Hughes said it himself - he's not retired, but he's on the shelf. What does that mean exactly? Probably that he would compete in the right kind of legends fight, but he's not going to go out there and face just anyone. Question is, what legend fights are there for him? He could try to avenge those two Dennis Hallman loses, and for some reason, Royce Gracie keeps talking about a Hughes rematch, but I'm not sure either of those fights really appeal to the UFC. Could be some time before we see Hughes in action again, if ever.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. It's sad, but it may be the end of a legend, and that's worth it.
More BE coverage of UFC 135 in the full entry.
</p>UFC 135 Results: Time to Embrace Underutilized Lighter Weight Classes - Brent Brookhouse
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/2...-embrace-underutilized-lighter-weight-classes
UFC 135 Results: Will Rashad Evans Spoil the Jon Jones Era? - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 135 Results: Dana White Expects Matt Hughes to Retire - Mike Fagan
UFC 135 Results: Two Heavyweight Fights On PPV A Big Mistake - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones Says Rashad Evans Doesn't Have His Number - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva Isn't Happening - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones vs. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage Results - Event Doesn't Provide Enough Bang for the Buck - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones vs. Rampage Jackson Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC 135 Results: Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC 135 Post-Fight Press Conference Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones Limping Backstage After Dominating Rampage Jackson - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Jon Jones Forces Rampage Jackson to Tap Out - Matthew Roth
UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Main Card - Bloody Elbow
UFC 135 Results: Josh Koscheck Knocks Out Matt Hughes, Doesn't Retire Him - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: Mark Hunt Picks Up A Decision In A Grueling Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: Travis Browne Defeats Rob Broughton by Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: Nate Diaz Forces Takanori Gomi to Tap By Armbar - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: Tony Ferguson Breaks Aaron Riley's Jaw In The First - Matthew Roth
UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Spike TV Prelims - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Tim Boetsch Gives Nick Ring His First Career Loss - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: Junior Assuncao Fails to Impress with Win Over Eddie Yagin - Matthew Roth
UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Prelims - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 135 Results: Takeya Mizugaki Ends Cole Escovedo With A Knockout - Matthew Roth
UFC 135 Results: James Te Huna Ends Ricardo Romero's Night By KO - Matthew Roth
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