UFC 85 has a surprise main event … and it’s a good one.
Former welterweight champion Matt Hughes (42-6) and Thiago Alves (14-3) will step up to the plate, inking a fight contract to go toe-to-toe during the main event at UFC 85 at the O2 Arena in London, England, on June 7, according to Matt-Hughes.com.
The exciting showdown between two of the top performers in the 170-pound division was booked to help fill the void of the injured Chuck Liddell, who had to withdraw from his fight with Rashad Evans because of a torn hamstring.
Here’s a snip:
“June 7th, in England, I fight Thiago Alves. The fight is confirmed, it will be the main event for the card. Dana just called me with the news. Chuck got hurt and couldn’t fight, so he needed a replacement and called me and I said yes. More news as I get it. No matter what happens in this fight, I’ve got Serra next.”
Wow … once again Hughes comes up big to save a major pay-per-view (PPV) event — he agreed to fight Georges St. Pierre when Matt Serra pulled out just six weeks prior to their proposed clash at UFC 79: “Nemesis” in December 2007.
Hughes lost that bout via second round submission, derailing his immediate chances at one last title run prior to his looming retirement (Hughes has admitted that he has about three fights left in the tank.)
It was widely known that he would finally settle the score with Serra after “The Terror” lost his welterweight bout to St. Pierre this past weekend.
Things have changed for now … that showdown is apparently still guaranteed regardless of what happens in the United Kingdom.
Alves is coming off the biggest win of his career — a technical knockout of top division contender Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13. “The Pitbull” is on a five fight win streak since a loss to Jon Fitch back in 2006.
Naturally, with a win over Parisyan, as well as Hughes, Alves would clearly distinguish himself as the next title challenger after St. Pierre and Fitch face off later on this year.
The rumored bout between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben is still possible; however, “The Count” has apparently not signed the bout agreement. And now that he won’t be the main event perhaps he’s lost his desire to do so altogether.
We’ll keep you posted on that.
For now check out the latest UFC 85 fight card click here.
Nice work, Joe Silva.
130 Comments »
should be a great fight…. wow i am excited about this one!!!
just as long as matt hughes gets to beat down that bum serra next
yeah, well see what happens in that fite. if u wanna go by their fites against gsp serra looked betta in defeat than hughes who looked like a b*tch!!!
I agree 100%.
YES!!!!!
Totally makes up for Chuck
My 2nd UFC card, can’t wait
Matt Hughes by some sort of arm lock. Unless Thiago can somehow keep it standing.
this is awesome news. cant wait. thought we would get a
lame main event fight. any predictions?
Thiago by KO!!!
this will be a great fight, it’s definitely better than rashad vs chuck as main event IMO. the down side is that if hughes loses it (which I’m hoping for), a fight with serra later on will not be as exciting as if both were coming off losses to gsp only.
Very happy to hear about this main event. By now everyone one this site should know that I am a big fan of tiago. I expect him to be an underdog, and I plan on winning a lot of money on him.
Hughes is going to get Kneed in his face shooting in for a takedown…Alves TKO round 1.
i cant stand matt hughes, but ican see this fight going down alot like the lytle/hughes fight with matt winning by dry-hump. i hope your right and im wrong in this fight though. i do give props to hughes for taking this fight,he could have just waited for serra and the big money. i still hope to see hughes fight diego before he retires.
I didnt find Chuck vs Wanderlei any less exciting even though they were both on a 2 fight losing skid
good…good!
Nice. Would rather see this than Hughes vs. Serra anyway.
Easy win for Hughes. Thiago won’t be able to keep it standing. I just can’t see Thiago hanging with Hughes even though Hughes is on the wind down for retirement.
Don’t think I like this new format Mania, even just reading posts is difficult to follow who is responding to who.
Thats what happens when you have a about a three week break from here.
Good to see you back Auto!
Of course Hughes SHOULD want to take this fight to the ground, and Thiago is going to do anything to keep it standing. Whoever dictates where this fight takes place, gets the victory. Can Thiago stop the Hughes takedown? Matt Hughes can take a punch, and Thiago sure can throw one.
If the fight goes to the third round, Thiago’s leg kicks could play a big factor in the fight, diminishing the effectiveness of Hughes’ takedowns.
ViolentMike: U brought up some great points. I expect Tiago t o start blasting Tiago with leg kicks as soon as the fight starts. Leg kicks will be a vital part of his game plan. I also think Tiago will work on Timing his knees with Hughes’s takedown defenses. I see Tiago winning by TKO.
Tiago will be an underdog and u know I throwing $ on Tiago!
If Thiago blasts Thiago with leg kicks, wouldn’t he be tripping himself? LOL, we all know what you meant!
Before I go for the weekend, I got one more burn for John - Since Thiago Alvez is one of your favorite fighters, I’d really think that you’d learn how to correctly spell his first name over the past year.
LOL, I kid, I kid…
Have a good weekend guys.
thaigo mite be as strong as hughes. i see him winning this fite and making a statement. no way hughes can stand with him and all thaigo has to do is stuff his takedowns. thiago will win this fite!!!
Thanks VM.
I seem to have missed a lot except my GSP, Gray Maynard, James Irvin predictions etc lol.
Lets not mention my Lutter prediction
Man, I wish you could have given me a head up on Maynard… I took a hurtin financially on that fight…
Of course Hughesus wants to take it to the ground. He punches like a lady. I hope Thiago is a dog like he was against Karo. The only good thing about that fight is that my gambling site opened with the odds switched, so I got Karo as a dog instead of a favorite and didn’t lose nearly as much as I could have.
Very good oppertunity for both fighters. Thiago will have to knock out Matt or hughes will win this fight.
thiago cant win this
Matt definitely is the good company guy. He takes on Alves in a lose-lose situation. If he loses to Alves, his bright star loses a little luster. If he wins, then its not that big of a deal because Alves is inexperienced and still too green. Man, does Matt have a pair that CLANK! I don’t like his personality but he is to be absolutely respected.
I agree, its a dangerous fight for Hughes, and he has never backed down from a fight..too many people show him disrespect, when its actaully guys like him who should be looked up to (as far as fighting goes). I Like Hughes by submission, if he can avoid a nasty need or something before getting Alves to the ground..
not “need” KNEE
Absolutely right! Hughes ALWAYS steps up to the plate, he’s a gamer even though he knew the odds were that he could beat Serra for the belt, he still stepped up and fought GSP. Hughes should win via ground N pound, or UD if he doesnt get KO’d or TKO’d.
Hughes is definitely a company guy, but this ain’t a lose-lose situation. What exactly does Hughes have to lose? He ain’t getting another title shot soon, and his career is about done. He gets Serra no matter what, and beyond that there aren’t any obvious super-fights that people want to see. Alves ain’t a super-fight, but at least Hughes gets to main-event a major England card.
Alves ain’t a superfight. Exactly. Which is WHY this is a risky fight for Hughes. He is a HOF’er. He does not need to fight Alves but he will do it to help out the UFC. Superfights for Hughes :
Hughes v. Serra (grudge match)
Hughes v. Koscheck
Hughes v. Diego Sanchez
Hughes v. BJ Penn III (catch weight clause?)
As I was reading the article finding out about the fight announcement, the first words that came to mine were “WOW, what a company guy!”. I am happy to see that most people realize this as well. Even though everyone likes to call Hughes a d*ck, not very many of us have actually met him in person so it rather unfare.
If Fitch were to lose to GSP, Hughes vs Fitch would be a big fight as well. Bigger than Alvez, because its two of the top wrestlers going at it, but obviously below Penn and Serra.
Agreed, Mike
This is another case of Hughes stepping up big time. This isn’t a big payoff fight for Matt. Thiago is very good, but not really well known. If Matt wins, he’s not getting another crack at GSP. Lose, and he loses some of his luster. He says he’ll fight Serra next either way after this fight, and I hope he does.
Hughes vs. Koscheck isn’t a superfight, and Hughes/Penn 3 is damned unlikely to happen while Penn is champ. Even Hughes/Sanchez isn’t a HUGE fight; the fact that he’s getting top billing on an England card mostly makes up for the lack of a big-name opponent.
I think you guys are way overrating the risk to Hughes. He could lose some of his luster; who cares? He doesn’t have many fights left, and a win over Serra would give him back whatever luster he may lose to Alves.
Oh i want Hughes and Penn to settle the score so bad…
Although Penn v GSP is just as huge.
Penn and GSP is WAY bigger. Him and GSP had an actual fight, I think it is obvious Penn is far superior to Hughes in every aspect of the game, as he dominaged 3 out of 4 rounds they fought.
i am by no means a hughes fan but you gotta give him props for stepping up. has this guy ever backed down or refused a fight? Not that i can remember. I hope hughes wins just for being such a stand up guy and stepping up when it is needed. Props to you matt. Tell Jesus i said “whats up!”
I had to laugh at the “Tell Jesus I said “what’s up!”" part.
me too!
Couldnt agree more, I am no Hughes fan but for stepping up like this you have to show him some respect. This guy put the sport ahead of himself (cant believe im saying that) and every fight fan should be thankful. Take note Randy you could learn a thing or two
NOW I’m excited for this card, hope Thiago pulls it out!!
LOL, I thought I read, “NOW I’m excited for this card, hope Thiago pulls out!!”
LOL
Hughes will out power this guy. Hughes by ground and pound!
Sweet, im stoked he isnt retiring . . . Waiting out that big payday of Hughes/Penn3, i cant wait for BJ to kick his *ss, he’s gonna get it so bad i almost feel sorry for him, BJ’s gonna break him, literaly!
Right now, Matt Hughes is not on the top of the list of fights for BJ Penn. BJ is set on holding multiple belts, and fighting Anderson Silva. BJ is fighting Sherk. Then I think he will have one more title defense at LW. Then he will move up to WW to fight GSP for the WW title. Then regardless of a win or less, the crazy guy that BJ is, he then wants to fight Anderson Silva.
Of course BJ would love to win a rubber match with Hughes, but Hughes does not hold a title, and only has about 3 fights left in him, tops.
where did you here all this? is there a link. I love BJ he is one of my favorites but i think Silva would destroy him.
My own gut feeling is that BJ has nothing to prove by beating Hughes - i think he wants to create a legacy by holding multiple belts at the same time.
I personally think he has slightly less than a coin flips chance of beating GSP if theyre both on the top of their game, and probably beats Silva on a pound for pound basis - i just dont think him going up to 185 and still be the best possible BJ is possible
I know BJ’s plans bro, no need to reiterate them to me, there is a long way til hughes but its an important fight for both men, and he’ll probably have a total of 3 defenses of his LW strap, Sherk, Florian/Huerta, Spencer Fischer. Then i see him moving up, GSP, Hughes, then SIlva, no silva in between dude, he’s not gonna fight ww, mw, ww then go further up, because you may think his top prize is silva but its not, for BJ the top prize is giving Lyoto his first loss, redeeming that loss and taking the belt that Lyoto will probably have, then he walks away. BOOM!
Sorry BRO, no need to get all defensive…it reminds me of my wife…
Obviously, not everyone here knows BJ’s plans. Actually the person 16 minutes before hand asked where I heard it, beause he never heard it before.
I’ll chalk it up to “you must be having a bad day, bro.”
Spencer Fisher??
i am, my bad, i think its just when i see hughes’s face that i get all crabby, hate that homo!! BJ BJ BJ!!! Ill go get a beer and a nap and check back later, again, my bad. Hopefully no hard feelings, see you in the next one bro!
THIS CARD IS NO LONGER ON PPV, go to ufc.com
It will be free on Spike.
NOW THIS CARD JUST BECAME A GREAT CARD!!!!
WAR FREE UFC!!!!
if its true
Exciting but a little too risky for Matt in my opinion. If he loses, it takes some of the shine off a hughes vs serra grudge match. Got give him credit for taking this though. He obviously feels he has something left to do in the division. Maybe he can be the Rich Franklin of the WW division.
I certainly agree. I think the luster is already kind of gone from a grudge match between Hughes-Serra. Honestly Serra isn’t really an interesting person and doesn’t have the greatest fight record. Anyway Thiago (or Kos)I think stand the only chance of beating Hughes. I don’t think Fitch can do it, he just doesn’t match up to Hughes right. I’m a big Hughes fan based on how much heart I’ve seen him put into his fights. I do hope Hughes can go out looking like the Rich of the Welterweights. Hughes and Rich both deserve to go out in style. Just remember they were the guys along with Couture and Iceman who brought the UFC into the light it is in currently.
Very, Very interesting…
Hughes in a Non-Title Main Event is acceptable depending on the opponent. Thiago Alvez has not yet reached the level of being in the main event of a PPV. Heck, he wasn’t even in the main event the most recent UFN.
I love the idea of the matchup. Especially, the fact that Hughes gets Serra regardless, and if Alvez wins, he gets next crack at the title.
I just don’t like the thought of Thiago Alvez headlining a PPV but not fighting for a title…
Just letting you know man this is now a live event on Spike. Even after Rua dropped from the bought there were talks about it going live because Rashad and Liddel wasn’t really much to hype up. No offense to eitehr of them. But now I do believe it is semi-official on the UFC website that it is live.
where on the ufc website does it say it is on spike because i have only the website advertising it as a ppv
Sorry I was wrong, maybe because the fight card got alot better but now this is a PPV fight. Totally bummed but I will probably still buy it
awwwww shiz! UFC resurrected this card from the tombs boy! nicccceeee. Leben already signed. Bisping is on the spot now. I could see the UK people being pisssssed off if he doesn’t sign. Time to go get your R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!
my bad. nothing to do wit ur post VM. don’t know how it got in ur box.
probably because you hit the “Reply to this comment” link :p
This will be a battle! Alves did a great job stuffing Karo’s throws, I don’t know if he’ll be able to sprawl well enough to stop Hughes’ takedowns though. All in all it will be a fun and exciting fight to watch!
Wow…I understand that some people don’t like Matt’s personality, but you gotta respect the guy. He knew he was walking into a beating against GSP and still took the fight.
Now he agrees to this fight, that in my opinion can go either way. Both fighters have a chance to win this fight and I don’t know who I’d bet on. Both fighters have the ability to win this fight and it should be very interesting.
Kudos to Matt for stepping up and doing what’s right for the company and the sport. I can’t wait to watch this one.
Shine is overated. This is looking to be a pretty good card with a good main event. Personally to me it gains a little respect back for matt that he is taking on a dangerous up and comer without a title on the line. Willing to fight just to fight! If this truly is free on spike I will take back some of the trash I have thrown on dana while watching the heavy div. fall to pieces. As far as the fight, matt won’t stand with alvez but wont need too. I see old school matt shooting, getting the takedown and grinding on him till the ref has to stop it in the late 2nd.
UFC came through!!!
I would love to see
Hughes vs KOS
Hughes vs Sanchez
Hughes vs Karo
I dont think Hughes vs BJ III will happen - they both know BJ will dominate him
Amen, brother.
it will happen, too big of a pay day for them and the uFC as a whole. Yes BJ will dominate but that didnt stop Hughes from fighting GSP the third time and we all knew how that would go ahead of time, it will happen, not a doubt in my mind, probably hughes last fight.
and all you guys were bashing dana and the ufc like always then they come through and you guys finally give them the respect they deserve.
Much respect to Hughes for bailing UFC 85 out. He didn’t need to.
This guy right here is a true champion.
Wow!! Dana did good. Nice
Thiago is an up and comer and hughes is about to go out the door should be a pretty good fight if they both meet in the middle.
I don’t care for this fight at all. It’s a solid fight but not main event worthy. Hughes has been crushed by GSP twice and had an average win over Lytle in the past two years. Who cares about Hughes?? I don’t. I’m sure alot of you don’t care either but are just jumping on the bandwagon.
I was really hoping for that Nog and Mir fight. Man, now I really hope Bisping and Leben fight on this card. The other fights are solid though.
I am not the biggest Hughes fan but getting crushed by GSP is not a negative. GSP (when his head is right) is a bonafide superstar. You cannot diss Hughes for losing to him. Lytle is a very tough and underrated BJJ guy who was all defense versus Hughes. Nobody is jumping on the Hughes bandwagon. Jumping on the Hughes bandwagon would mean that we all grip his nads AFTER he wins.
this is one of the few fights i hope hughes wins. just so he goes into the serra fight looking like he’s at the top of his game still.
Michael Bisping just confirmed live on Setanta Sports News that he has signed to fight on the UFC 85 card…
did he confirm he was fighting Leben??
UFC.com is confirming the Leben/Bisping fight. This is still set as a PPV here in the States.
I’m seeing the exact same info, I don’t know where people are getting the card is free. It says PPV event on the UFC.com website. Interested to see leben and bisping mix it up.
Your right UFC.com is still saying PPV. I wonder if they think they can go with the PPV now they got Hughes?
Anyway its free in the UK.
It doesn’t say Pay-Per-View it says International event
Thiago has said hisself that he isn’t a first round fighter, after his win over Karo he said he likes to use the first round as a feeling out process, Hughes isn’t gonna give Thiago a whole round to find his range. Hughes by TKO (GnP) in the 1st
is the card still free?
cant see it being free if Matt Hughes is on the card - and if the rumors about bisping vs leben is true, you can pretty much start saving that $50 for the event
My 50 will definately make it’s way to the savings account, whether this fight is “main event status” is anyones opinion. There’s been a lot of good news on this card in the last week, so I’ll pay, but I still got my fingers crossed on another solid free card, and wishes make the world go round (jokes).
nevermind, it’s a PPV.
i hope it is free.. i dont want to pay $50 twice in 3 weeks. i really want to see 84, but 85 is looking pretty sweet. thats graduation weekend too…
is the card still free?
hughes fan praying against the upset
Seriously, such a better fight than Chuck vs. Rashad IMO. I really really want to see this fight. Saved the card for sure. And worth a ppv now.
Thiago Alves by Unanimous Decision.
This fight is better than anything with Evans.
Great fight, especially if it’s for free! Props to Hughes for stepping up, although I can’t really think of too many reasons why he wouldn’t.
His buddy Dana made him an offer he can’t refuse. Take a main event fight and I’ll pay you huge, like always. Win or lose, you still get Serra.
He’s already going down as one of the best WWs ever. This fight isn’t going to change that. No one’s going to remember that Jerry Rice ended his career in Denver.
this is a good way to test thiago, if he is able to stop the takedowns he might be a force even against all the other top wrestlers.
on the feet he will blast them all.. even gsp
Really? He got TKO’d by Fitch!
Nope sorry, still not enough. Matt Hughes loss to GSP showed that he will never be champ again. he is just hanging around for a couple of big paychecks.
in Denver? no sh**. that aside, this is a good fight. Thiago deserves the big step-up fight after defeating Karo. Hughes makes a hell of a gate keeper at ww. Very exiting, way more so than Lidell/Sugar. If Bisping/Leben gets added, this shoud easily be the best UFC non-title event in a while.
hughes steps up n saves 85!!! thiagos no pushover tho real test for an agein hughes.equally as excited about this fight. gotta get bisping v leben on the card aswell!!!
this whole card is bad ass
UFC 85 will be free via tape delay
I heard it’s free
Went from lame card to exciting card
Awesome! I’m actually a fan of Hughes. I’m interested in seeing if he can win, or if he has a case of the shamrocks.
Awesome! Gonna be a great fight. I hope Hughes comes in and looks strong.
well guys looks like Matt wants to leave the UFC on a two fight losing streak. first Thaigo then Serra.
thats a 3 fight losing streak genius
my bad I guess a decent mma fan doesn’t really need to know how to count to 3?…….
only a j”dawg” would make that mistake
how bout both of you lick my dawg nuts,
I hope this is a career ender for that bible thumper hughes. I’ve been tired of him since he laid on bj penn and slapped him into stoppage. Hughes will never be championship caliber in the ufc again. Thiago’s gonna stuff hughes’ only offense ( the takedown). And if he gets taken down he’s gonna scramble up. this is a way bigger fight for Thiago. He knows that by beating hughes he’s lined up for a rematch with fitch or beating the hell out of serra en route to a title fight where he’ll get dominated by the big dog st. pierre. Maybe even anthony johnson will be in the horizon for alves(look out)
Hughes has to end this fight within two rounds. Thiago has been overwhelmed by a dominant wrestler before, but i wouldn’t be surprised if Hughes eats a devastating knee shooting in. Hats off to Matt Hughes, after loosing to GSP the first time he fought Lytle for his rebound match and title shot. Thiago is an animal, the UFC is either throwing Matt Hughes a sh*t load of money, or Matt Hughes has more balls than I thought.
Bisping vs Leben has been confirmed by ufc.com
Much respect to Hughes, but it should be Matt Hughes vs Diego Sanchez that a real super-fight, everyone want to see that fight
Bisbing Leben is now confirmed and is on ufc.com. Nice job UFC this is a great replacement and I hope this is going to be on SPIKE.
Mega Mega Mega - I cant wait
I have gone through a whole range of emotions since buying tickets to this. Briliant card now.
Calling out Violentmike - the bisping/leben fight is on. Looking forward to a bit of frinedly banter …come on bisping!!!!
One of them is going down for sheezy! But the stupid part about it is it doesn’t even matter to me who gets KTFO!! LOL! I’ll be equally as happy for either of them. SICK MATCHUP! WIN WIN situation for the fans. Guarantee Action! Major crossroad as far as contendership goes.
props to mmamania for starting the damn rumors. i don’t know who you guys were talking to back there but something tells me u guys had a lot to do with making it happen.
^ referring to Bisping Leben fight
I love the Bisping/Leben match up, but something tells me this is going to turn it back into a PPV.
THE UFC PULLED IT OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hard to pick with bisping/leben… i’d say ping by decision. maybe a split. leben ate some hard shots from martin and cote and didnt go down, and anderson is the only one in the ufc to ko him. i’d love to see the crippler cripple bisping though.
Didnt expect this fight, but sounds good, nice replacement. Hughes has nothing to gain from this, except for a non- walk in the park fight prep for Serra, then retire. Alves benefits in any outcome, now that he’s a Main Event caliber fighter now. A win would be a certain title match after Fitch, a loss would just delay him 2-3 fights until a title match. A loss=Kos, Sanchez, or Marcus Davis. Or he can bump down to WEC and take on Condit?
fight network is saying UFC 85 will be a pay-per-view and will air on Spike!
come on matt you can do it.
i just hope matt hughes believes again and produces one of his strong ass performances. Theres a lot of hating on him recently, fact still remains hes a great fighter and is still young enough to be a force, although gsp may just be too talented!
I think that the UFC made good main event after Chuck Liddell was injured. I`m gooing to ufc 85 with first row tickets and was very sad when Liddell got injured. But with this fight i think that the ufc made the best out of it. I think Hughes is still at his best. His only problem is that he was so dominant with his wrestling when he was the top dog, that he didn`t develop a good standup game. He just shoot inn and forced them to the ground and punished them. The last 2 fights with gsp really showed that he isn`t a complete mma fighter. When he meets a guy that he can`t take down like gsp and bj penn for 2 rounds, he is inn big trouble.
Thiago alves is a big and strong ww. I don`t think Hughes is going to overpower him and take him down in the clinch. His only chance is to shoot from the outside. The problem here is that it will be wery easy for Alves to read and sprawl. What Hughes need to do to get this fight to the ground, he just dosen`t have the skills to do it. He needs to engage inn the standup battle and then shoot, the problem is that Alves is lightyears ahead of Hughes inn this part of the fight and will win every one of those battles. I think Alves will circle or move from side to side(like he did against the japanese fighter) to cut angles and throw huge legkicks. Both gsp(2. fight) and Royce Gracie(before Hughes took him down) had great success with legkicks in their fights against him. I think Alves will only need to land 3 or 4 legkicks before Hughes leg starts to cramp up and then he will ko him. So my prediction is alves by ko inn the 1 or 2 round
Very good summary, but I also think you have to factor in Hughes’ experience in headlining a show. I still think Alves will win but see it later on in the fight by stoppage.
I think Hughes may be prepared for those leg kicks so i see Alves having a go down the middle with knees and fist combos.
It could be a classic fight if Hughes does not go down the tactical route of keeping distance to avoid leg kicks.
gotta thank joe silva for deliverin a great card. after liddell pulled out was seriously worried about this event. hughes,bisping n irvin to win!!!!
For everyone that says Hughes gets respect for stepping up and what not, how does he deserve anymore respect than Thiago? Thiago just fought in February and should have been looking to take the winner of the Fitch/GSP fight it that happens. Hughes hasnt fought since December and is coming off a loss, so he needed something to try to get back into it. If anything, Thiago gets the respect and shows the courage for fighting someone like Hughes who’s last performance was lackluster…Alves doesnt have too much to gain in my opinion. I respect Hughes as a fighter and what he’s done for the sport, but I dont think he deserves any more respect than Thiago, Thiago is the one fighting sooner then expected.