” …I fully support the War in Iraq and President Bush. He’s the guy I voted for and I think he’s done a good job. I believe our troops are doing a great job of defending our freedoms and making our country safe from terrorists. They are the real heroes. I’m just a guy who fights three times a year, these guys are fighting every single day so that I can have the opportunity to do what I love and raise my family in a free country. So I will always be thankful for that. Honestly, I just don’t see how anyone can claim to support our troops and at the same time oppose the war that they are fighting. To me those go hand in hand. I know a lot of people might disagree with me on this, but that’s fine, they’re entitled to their own opinions. That’s why we live in America.”

– Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes responds to a fan — via his blog — who asked him to leverage his public status to speak out against the war in Iraq.

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March 22nd, 2007     58 Comments

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Comment by Brian
2007-03-22 09:27:23

I really wouldn’t expect anything different from a fighter who comes out to “A country boy can survive”.

 
Comment by Mad Squabbles
2007-03-22 09:35:30

“Honestly, I just don’t see how anyone can claim to support our troops and at the same time oppose the war that they are fighting.”

Now that’s a reader.

 
Comment by diehardcore
2007-03-22 09:44:52

Ard thats why Im glad he lost the belt.

 
Comment by The Man
2007-03-22 09:50:41

Bush is doing a heck of a job ,Just like brownie at katrina.Everybody likes to say you can’t support our troops if you don’t support the war but we do not live in a black and white world.Simply put,its not that simple.The military that is fighting both wars overseas are our heroes,our patriots.Matt Hughes is entitled to his opinion.God his fight are boring.

 
Comment by Tommy
2007-03-22 09:56:58

Our boys are fighting and dieing but the only way to support them is to believe in Bush and his war program? If you don’t like Bush and his war then your not a patriot and don’t support our troops? Man do I hate Hughes.

 
Comment by Mikethelegend
2007-03-22 10:02:46

oh i didnt think i could hate him more… he is such a typical american idiot. i feel sorry for all my normal american friends who get lumped in the same broad umbrella of being “american”

Oh man such a dick!

 
Comment by True Believer
2007-03-22 10:11:58

Hey mikethe legend, I can understand why you may disagree with Hughes’ comments, but why do you feel the need to trash being “American”? I am proud to be an American, and I treasure the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country. I don’t know where you are from, but you should show a little respect to the country that has made it possible for so much of the world to live in freedom.

 
Comment by Jesse1
2007-03-22 10:26:45

[quote comment="17223"]Hey mikethe legend, I can understand why you may disagree with Hughes’ comments, but why do you feel the need to trash being “American”? I am proud to be an American, and I treasure the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country. I don’t know where you are from, but you should show a little respect to the country that has made it possible for so much of the world to live in freedom.[/quote]
I’m an American and I find myself wondering about those “freedoms” you speak of true believer. It seems like were getting more taxes, debts, starting more wars, not finishing our squabbles, wasting billions in Iraq and so on and so on. Personally i’m getting less inclined to admit being an American when i’m not in the states. I mean most of the world probably hates us, I was harrassed for being an “american terrorist” down in jamaica recently, try telling anyone down there that “were not the terrorists, we just led by one!” they wont believe you

 
Comment by E
2007-03-22 10:30:05

Seems to me MiketheLegend’s perspective is from outside the US of A, where it isn’t always complimentary to call someone an American. The world is full of stereotypes; and just as persons of certain nationalities are unfairly stereotyped in the states so are Americans overseas.

 
Comment by PW
2007-03-22 10:38:57

That Miletich camp must be a cult. Timmy said the same things as Hughes before his 25-minute dry hump session with Monson.

 
Comment by Robin
2007-03-22 10:46:26

I think things are even more complicated than they have to be because of past involvement by colonialism and such other interations.

Its such a mess and there are so many sides I dont think anyone really has the situation right. And the more you know about the whole thing the more it makes you wonder what the hell good can possibly come out of being there.

I really flip flop so much on this situation.

 
Comment by TRavis
2007-03-22 10:56:23

This is a mixed issue for me, First of all I’m a proud Canadian… I do feel like alot of Canadians sit back and feel superior to Americans, because we are loved all over the world. People in other countries recognize our peace keeping efforts, and b/c we generally don’t get involved in wars such as Iraq 1 and 2. Oddly enough we are at war in Afganistan… One of the reasons that we don’t get involved is because our military is so small it is already streched thin with the Afgan mission. I think that we enjoy alot of freedoms b/c of role that the USA plays in world politics. Were off the radar of terrorists, safe from actual war b/c our southern neighbors wouldn’t allow any country to threaten North America, and we are a very wealthy country due in large part from exporting to America, and natural resources, and oil. I don’t think it is fair for guys like “Mikethelegend” (i bet 10-1 he is a Canadian.) To dis American’s b/c of Bush. Sure the war is a disaster, and probably a bad idea, but that region of the world (in my opinion) needs stability of democracy, and imporved economy. I think terrorism arises from poverty, and lack of education, or instead of education indoctrination of hatred. Why do people hate the west, not because the US influences world politics, but because of the vast wealth.
(Considering the vast wealth of the middle east oil riches, if they had stable governemnts they could be as well off)

 
Comment by exjudoka
2007-03-22 11:00:14

so if you send troops to die in the desert for a lie you’re actually supporting them. if you try to bring them back home alive to be with their families,you are undermining the troops. boy, when GSP kicked Matt in the head he really knocked something loose up there.

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 11:02:13

I hate it when people who don’t know each other start discussing politics or religion or alike topics. Nothing good comes out of it. That being said, here is my take:

Hughes is (like the rest of the Miletich Camp) a huge prick. You must support the president if you want to support the troops is the biggest bullshit I heard outside of the Whitehouse recently. Most troops would like to come back, most of their family wants them back, the iraqi nation wants them gone. Its been 4 years now since the invasion and what have they accomplished? They replaced a tyranny with a civil war. I am not sure the iraqi people are grateful for that.

As for the “be thankful, we americans brough you freedom” attitude: that’s exactly why most people outside the US hate americans (and I mean hate, not dislike). I have alot of friends from the states and try to remind myself that your president is the dickhead, not your (truly great) nation. I just hope for our all sake that you are your politicans remember that true Greatness comes from responsibility, humility and trust-building actions. Not domination, war-mongering and sabotaging OUR world with the work of lobbyists from the military-industrial complex, tabacco and oil companies.

 
Comment by Asok
2007-03-22 11:32:01

The best way to support troops or any living being for that matter is to take them out of harms way… food for thought there Cletus Hughes.

Now, further with that logic, you can make a counter argument that the troops are risking life and limb to protect us and eventually themselves from future harms way – WOOPS, BZZT! WRONG! No they are not, unless they are in Afghanistan and the lawless regions of PakiSATAN trying to hunt down the source of REAL threats to the United States. You know, the masterminds who actually were successful in KILLING THE SHIT OUT OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS ON OUR SOIL??? Well it’s a tough job to do since we have about 1/10th the troops trying to hunt down the real terrorists in a region twice the size of Iraq. But nevermind, let’s find those WMD’s.

“We fight them over there so we don’t fight them over hear” – the typical rhetoric from immeasurably stupid simpleton rednecks who blindly defend the Iraq war. Don’t get me wrong, we DO need to get our war on, but it’s not in Mesopotamia. Try 2,000 miles east.

Anyone but the Cleti masses can’t argue that Bush is the worst wartime president ever.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 12:11:07

I’m a proud Canadian and have nothing against Americans but I just don’t like bush. Good for hughes thats hes patriotic, I’m patriotic too, I love Canada and would put my life on the line to protect my country and freedom. The war started with a lie ” weapons of mass destruction ” but I feel for the troops over there and want this war to won as soon as possible. I think bush is a bit of a war monger and a coward, I know he would never fight himself as he’s proven in the past and would never put his own children at risk, but doesn’t mind sacrificing others children to achieve his unknown agenda. I think Hughes is a good guy deep down ( I know he does a lot of charity work and helps out the less fortunate ) but sometimes comes across as unrefined and arrogant. There seems to be a lot of hughes bashing these days, testament to how fickle most fans are in this sport.

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 12:17:38

I believe the Hughes bashing stems from his urge to talk politics and religion. Those are two topics that you can discuss with family and friends, but not act a posterboy in front of the television, especially if you don’t know jack about either.

Don’t get me wrong, I am neither uninterested in politics nor an atheist – on the contrary really. But fighters should fight, politicians do politics and preachers preach. I hate it when the first thing after a match I hear the fighters thanking god and jesus for the win. Where in the bible did you read that its ok to go inside a cage and beat up each other? Don’t make a fight a pilgrimage.

 
Comment by Dave
2007-03-22 12:23:20

I’ve always thought that Matt Hughes was a complete d-bag. It’s not as if I needed any confirmation of that, but this pretty much seals the deal.

I’m a proud American who is embarrassed of our so called president. I think it’s a delicious irony that a Canadian kicked his ass. And not just a Canadian, but someone who seems like a hell of lot nicer and humble guy than Hughes is.

 
Comment by Steve O.
2007-03-22 12:31:45

The Miletich camp is filled with nitwits, the biggest of all being Pat Miletich. He seems completely worthless as a cornerman. Whenever his guys are in trouble during a fight, it’s like he has nothing to say.

Matt Hughes needs to shut up and get back to farming. Hopefully Diego Sanchez will get a chance to shut him up once Diego puts Koscheck to sleep.

 
Comment by jimmy
2007-03-22 12:36:34

Everybody needs to watch this movie called “mission agianst terror” it will open your eyes to what america is really about. American goverments support terrist groups in are own country. Watch this Movie it is a bad ass movie/documentry

 
Comment by mayberry
2007-03-22 12:48:30

So glad the MFS reign is over, all these Miletich guys are arrogant, cocky and stupid. they should learn never to speak there mind cause it makes them look like they are a bunch of fools.

I just think the best one was when hughes went to Canada and stated something about Canadians not being fighters or some shite and then hes gets owned by GSP, that was priceless.

and…….Im not touching the political argument here!

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 13:29:14

Yes hughes really needs to not talk so much about politics and religion both big social no no’s. I think the guy means well but is kind of socially inept. I agree with You tapped to keep politics and religion at home when in the public eye, both are important issues but keep it personal rather than public. Hughes and all the other zealots out there could learn a lot from the quiet and polite gsp.

 
Comment by Erhardt
2007-03-22 13:47:22

Matt Hughes confuses our freedom with invading and occupying a foreign country. Typical attitude for an uneducated and unsophisticated hick.

Our freedom comes from the Constitution – and nowhere else.

 
Comment by DoctorSamson
2007-03-22 14:14:19

You all need to get over yourselves. Matt is entitled to an opinion, and you’re entitled to yours. But what is not right is for you all to criticise his intelligence for it. All that does is make you sound like cutthroat assholes, which I am sure upstanding gentlemen like yourselves are not. For all of you not from America, I understand your opinions, and you are entitled to them, but I say that I am proud to be an American, and I make no excuses and always defend it. For those of you who are American and still badmouth our country, allow me to quote the great Theodore Roosevelt. “The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.”

 
Comment by [w153r]
2007-03-22 14:38:22

The only time race, religion, sexuality, and politics should be discussed is on Jerry Springer. THE ONLY PLACE. I don’t give a flying pizza WTF Matt Hughes thinks. I don’t plan on giving my opinion on such a taboo subject. Nobody cares what I think, and I sure as hell don’t give a fuck what you all think about President Bush and the war in Iraq. The opinions we have on R,R,S, and P’s can cause long overdrawn posts like mine and all of the ones here. :) Lets make it a UFCMania rule, no discussion about Race, Religion, Sexuality, and Politics.

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 14:52:57

[w153r] for president! Oops I did it again ..

 
Comment by UFCmania
2007-03-22 14:54:47

[quote post="1544"]Lets make it a UFCMania rule, no discussion about Race, Religion, Sexuality, and Politics.[/quote]

Sounds like mutiny.

 
Comment by Erhardt
2007-03-22 15:04:42

DoctorSamsom

Teddy Roosevelt also said, “That to blindly follow your president – is not only servile, but cowardly and unpatriotic.”

 
Comment by DoctorSamson
2007-03-22 15:28:21

Erhardt, touche, good quote. I wasn’t quite referring to the president stuff though, just loyalty to one’s country. I agree with [w153r], and I apologize for my rant, this is not the place for it.

 
Comment by storhaug
2007-03-22 15:34:16

i’m not a fan of hughes but i agree more with what he says, than with what would be said by some one who opposes~

 
Comment by cheeks420
2007-03-22 15:44:09

MATT YOUR FIGHTS ARE BORING AS HELL!But i love to watch em,and i just want everybody to come home.Bush needs to worry bout how dumb so many american kids got in the past 5 years,and how theres a bum at each corner of the suburbs i live and give them each a dolloar or two,bush needs to find jobs for those people in our backyards that need help not iran iraq where ever r boys are at

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 16:04:58

Its so easy to bash hughes behind a computer, I wonder how many here would have the balls to say it to his face.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 16:50:22

Matt hughes didn’t intend for ufc mania to put his personal thoughts from his website on ufc mania. He was only responding to a fan who wanted him to speak out against the war and matt said he wouldn’t. I take back what I said earlier, Matt isn’t trying to speak out, he’s entitled to give his view on his own damn website! The whole blog here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Not much really going on this week, so I’ve been going through some of the emails that we receive to the website. I came across one message that asked me to use this platform that God has put me on to take a stand against the War in Iraq.
Well, I can’t do that, because I fully support the War in Iraq and President Bush. He’s the guy I voted for and I think he’s done a good job. I believe our troops are doing a great job of defending our freedoms and making our country safe from terrorists. They are the real heroes. I’m just a guy who fights 3 times a year, these guys are fighting every single day so that I can have the opportunity to do what I love and raise my family in a free country. So I will always be thankful for that.
Honestly, I just don’t see how anyone can claim to support our troops and at the same time oppose the war that they are fighting. To me those go hand in hand.
I know a lot of people might disagree with me on this, but that’s fine, they’re entitled to their own opinions. That’s why we live in America. -Matt

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 16:53:47

That’s what UFCmania’s posting said:

[quote post="1544"]— Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes responds to a fan — via his blog — who asked him to leverage his public status to speak out against the war in Iraq.[/quote]

And if he didn’t wanted his personal thought out there in the public, then he should have simply replied via email to the guy.

 
Comment by MoreThanUFC
2007-03-22 16:54:57

I’m not gonna comment on this one. Too many emotions for me. However, someone said Canada wasnt involved in Iraq 1. Sorry dude, not so.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 16:57:48

I think he’s entitled to put his own fucking thoughts on his own website!

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 17:00:29

What’s the point in putting something on a public website if he doesn’t want it out there in the wild? If he needs a medium to store his thought and memories, I’d suggest a diary.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 17:05:52

I don’t think he cares who reads it, the point is I don’t think hes trying to make some political statement, he puts everything on there, like his thoughts and what he did during the week to give his fans a look into his life.

 
Comment by YouTapped
2007-03-22 17:08:28

I guess we look at it from two different angles and that’s fine. No need for us to fight over something that trivial.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-22 17:12:42

I guess we can agree to disagree. Politics and religion seem to be topics that get a lot of people, myself included all riled up.

 
Comment by jason_73
2007-03-22 19:26:54

Matt Hughes wrote that on his blog. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. That is a very American right of ours. It’s not like he invaded some public board and started shoving it down throats. He’s allowed to answer people with something other than what is socially/politically correct. That is called democracy. People are entitled to opinions other than your own. It amazes me when people want the right of freedom of speech and press yet flame everyone with an opinion other than their own to shut-up. Hypocrisy.

 
Comment by godisnowhere
2007-03-22 19:55:35

We need a foothold in the region. Wait until Iran gets deliverable tactical nukes. I’m glad we’ve got the power. I wish we would use it. Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved millions of lives. I’m most glad that I live in the SUPERIOR North American country.

 
Comment by Dave
2007-03-22 20:08:23

Well I guess it’s safe to say that this topic has devolved completely. The bottom feeders have arrived. Perhaps we should stick to MMA – as in: it was nice to see Hughes beaten by someone so deserving and hard working like GSP. I was rooting for Lytle, but I guess it wasn’t to be.

 
Comment by Robin
2007-03-22 20:37:16

I would like to think everyone could leave and things would smell like roses and people would be happy…

… but it will never happen, where ever there are people there will always be struggle and strife.

Why do they not just divide iraq up into different additions to other existing countries? Or partition it off north iraq to kurds, south iraq to sunnies and shiites can have another region. If people dont move to the country most preferable within a yr they are stuck where they are. Make sure all the area is divided up equally for resources and pull out.

If fighting persists what the hell atleast you tried.

Insurgents are the problem so let the country the insurgents come from worry about them. They dont want to control thier borders.

I agree we should be concentrating our efforts on “HOMe”
I dont really know why we bother over there, when china decides it wants more oil it will just hop,skip and jump over there and take it.

Is it my imagination or are all regions of the world having trouble with muslim factions. Russia, China, USA, Somalia, Israel, India. Bombings in Greece, Spain, Jakarta or Britain.

Even in muslim states like Iraq or Palestin they fight each other, there is definitly something wrong when there is so much struggle.

There has always been fighting in the middle east and there always will be, atleast until someone gets fed up and just nukes it.

I just wish the world would get its act together and stop relying on fossil fuels, but I guess they would just start fighting over water or something else.

 
Comment by joe
2007-03-22 20:56:15

Matt huges is fucking brain washed[quote comment="17452"]Its so easy to bash hughes behind a computer, I wonder how many here would have the balls to say it to his face.[/quote]
i dont agree with him hes a fucking idiot, but he should be allowed to say what he wants on his own page(free Speech). I agree if more then half these people saw Matt huges they would puker up. Well Like my old man use to say ” theres some people who kiss ass, theres some people who say kiss my ass” Guess who i am!

 
Comment by RoB
2007-03-22 20:59:01

Damn!!! after reading all these posts i feel like we should get Jeff Monson on here to teach us about anarchy and I’m still PROUD to be an AMERICAN

 
Comment by cheeks
2007-03-22 23:41:45

NATHAN set up the time and place ill say what the fuck i got to say to any man,if you didn’t see matts record he lost more than once ill be gladly caulk another lost to matty boy.NOW i said this b4 i like matt but i don’t care who u r.If i got something to say I’m going to fucking say it…..HOLLA!!!!!!

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-23 00:15:40

[quote comment="17824"]NATHAN set up the time and place ill say what the fuck i got to say to any man,if you didn’t see matts record he lost more than once ill be gladly caulk another lost to matty boy.NOW i said this b4 i like matt but i don’t care who u r.If i got something to say I’m going to fucking say it…..HOLLA!!!!!![/quote]
LOL…………I hope you fight better than you spell. You wouldn’t last 20 seconds with hughes.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-23 00:23:08

[quote comment="17824"]NATHAN set up the time and place ill say what the fuck i got to say to any man,if you didn’t see matts record he lost more than once ill be gladly caulk another lost to matty boy.NOW i said this b4 i like matt but i don’t care who u r.If i got something to say I’m going to fucking say it…..HOLLA!!!!!![/quote]
BRAVE…….hiding behind your computer, I bet 20 bucks you would shit your pants if you met hughes on the streets.

 
Comment by nathan
2007-03-23 00:24:37

Hold back on the weed bro before your completely brain dead.

 
Comment by The Man
2007-03-23 01:38:57

[quote comment="17634"]We need a foothold in the region. Wait until Iran gets deliverable tactical nukes. I’m glad we’ve got the power. I wish we would use it. Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved millions of lives. I’m most glad that I live in the SUPERIOR North American country.[/quote]
I wonder if the roughly 214,000 dead japaneese would agree with your statement.I hope you were not implying we should use a nuke over there.Lets just wipe out an ass load of innocent people while were at it.

 
Comment by cheeks
2007-03-23 01:43:56

WHERE I’M FROM I SEE MATT EVERYDAY,HE’S JUST IN A BLUE UNIFORM,AND I LASTED 5 YEARS IN SAN QUIT. SO I KNOW I COULD HANDLE AT LEAST A GOOD 5 MINS.WITH MATT THANKS FOR TO MOTIVATION

 
Comment by cheeks
2007-03-23 01:45:05

I WONT HIDE BEHIND MY COMPUTER, IM IN FRONT OF IT…….HOLLA………

 
Comment by Saint Gasoline
2007-03-23 01:53:48

“Honestly, I just don’t see how anyone can claim to support our troops and at the same time oppose the war that they are fighting. To me those go hand in hand.”

Let’s apply some Matt Hughes logic to another scenario:

Honestly, I just don’t see how anyone can claim to support sweatshop laborers and at the same time oppose their working conditions. To me those go hand in hand.

This is why Hughes is a fighter, and not an intellectual.

I can’t wait to see GSP kick him in the head again. The American patriot getting his ass whooped by a French Canadian…now that’s karmic retribution.

 
Comment by zack
2007-03-23 03:23:01

Well thats pretty much what I think Matt Hughes would say. He quotes the bible and lives on a farm. The people where hes from aren’t very liberal.

 
Comment by UFCmaniac
2007-03-23 06:27:51

Lets face it guys, we dont know shit about the hidden agendas that go on in our countries. I thought being a peace keeping country meant our Government would not put Canada in wars, and it does, and when it does Im like, “hey, I thought we were peacekeepers, what the fuck?” I wish I could say I see through all the propaganda that’s fed to me, but I dont think anyone does, its not Hughes fault that someone brainwashed him. YOU know what, from now on Im a human who happens to live in Canada, fuck this pride shit, fuck black vs white, and fuck cheering for the home team(being from Winnipeg they always suck anyways) Us vs them mentality is where wars start, if its not Shiites vs Sunnis, its west side vs east side. I grew up in a village of under 500 people, guess what, people find a way to make sides no matter what or where they are. If you identify yourself with a place, city, country, race, etc. Please wake up.

 
Comment by jimmy
2007-03-23 07:23:08

THE REVOLUTION IS ALIVE MY BROTHERS!!!!!!!

 
Comment by Liam
2007-09-27 16:34:11

Jeff Monson voted for Bush too, and as for Anarchy like Communism it sounds nice on paper. I heard his lecture about Anarchism, sounds very nice indeed, but its not something I’d want to be living in, if it worked other countries would be using it. Sure Capitalism isn’t perfect, and holds corruption, but you’d find it everywhere, but more of it, for the alternatives allow corruption and greed to not only get out of control, but last longer.

 
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