Royce Gracie Wants Rematch With Matt Hughes
Royce Gracie is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, but at UFC 60, the MMA legend was soundly defeated by former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes.
It has been 11 years since Gracie lost to Hughes, and now he wants his rematch.
"Man, that would be great,” Gracie told MMA Fighting. "That would be great. Everybody wants to see this second fight. I'd be in the fight. The strategy was right. Everything we planned and imagined he would do, he did. But I wasn’t in the fight."
Hughes recently made waves when he said a return to MMA was a possibility.
Gracie wants fans to know that he has been training everyday and if the rematch were to happen, the result would be a little different.
"I never stopped training, I never stopped working out,” said Gracie. “My body is in great shape, the machine is working. There’s only one way to find out (who would win): we have to do it again. Boy, if you want to fight me right now, I’ll meet you there [laughs]. When you're a fighter, you have to be ready all the time. There’s no ‘I need a month’. It’s always time. When you're a fighter, any time is time to fight. I won’t ask for more time, say 'I need to get ready'. You’re a warrior or you’re not.”
The Brazilian MMA legend hasn’t competed since defeating longtime rival Ken Shamrock by first round TKO at Bellator 149.