# Royce wants a rematch with Hughes



## Andrew Green (Aug 10, 2006)

MMAWeekly: Do you want a rematch with Matt Hughes?

Royce Gracie: Of course

MMAWeekly: Are you in negotiations with the UFC to make this fight happen?

Royce Gracie: We are talking to them.  We shall see.

MMAWeekly: Touching on Hughes, did you learn anything from the fight? Did he surprise you?

Royce Gracie: No, we knew what he was planning to do. We worked out his gameplan before the fight, and he did exactly what we expected. I over-trained for the fight. That was all. I started training too much, too hard, for too long. He did exactly what we expected.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2473&zoneid=2


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## matt.m (Aug 10, 2006)

That is a rematch I would actually like to see


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## terryl965 (Aug 10, 2006)

Well you got to hand it to Gracie he knew what Matt was going to do but could not stop him and then wants to get back in the ring.
Terry


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 10, 2006)

I would not mind seeing this rematch even though I think Royce should retire.  I would expect a similar result in a rematch though.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## Rich Parsons (Aug 10, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> MMAWeekly: Do you want a rematch with Matt Hughes?
> 
> Royce Gracie: Of course
> 
> ...


 

He did exactly what we expected. Hughes Won   

I could not resist.

A rematch would be good, but I would not like to see it go on and on like some others that just will not let it go.


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## MattJ (Aug 10, 2006)

Royce really should retire. I don't see the point of a rematch. The man has made his name already, what is there to prove now? Everybody gets old. I mean, Helio lost to Kimura.


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## Carol (Aug 10, 2006)

Great.  $40 for another fight that will prolly be over in less than 5 minutes.


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## Andrew Green (Aug 10, 2006)

I'd like to see a rematch... AFTER Royce has a few other UFC fights and wins.  First fight in a Octagon under current rules should not be against the champion....


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## lll000000lll (Aug 10, 2006)

MattJ said:
			
		

> Royce really should retire. I don't see the point of a rematch. The man has made his name already, what is there to prove now? Everybody gets old. I mean, Helio lost to Kimura.


 
very true.

besides i dont think matt hughes wants to fight gracie again.

i know i wouldnt want to.


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## MJS (Aug 11, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> I'd like to see a rematch... AFTER Royce has a few other UFC fights and wins. First fight in a Octagon under current rules should not be against the champion....


 
I agree!  One thing that surprised me though was this:



> Royce Gracie: No, we knew what he was planning to do. We worked out his gameplan before the fight, and he did exactly what we expected. I over-trained for the fight. That was all. I started training too much, too hard, for too long. He did exactly what we expected.


 
If he knew what Matt was going to do, I'm surprised he didn't gear his own game plan to defend against that.:idunno:


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## MJS (Aug 11, 2006)

Carol Kaur said:
			
		

> Great. $40 for another fight that will prolly be over in less than 5 minutes.


 
I know! Doesn't that get a bit discouraging??  Hopefully the fights prior will make up for it, in the event it is over quick!

Mike


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## Makalakumu (Aug 11, 2006)

MJS said:
			
		

> If he knew what Matt was going to do, I'm surprised he didn't gear his own game plan to defend against that.:idunno:


 
I think that Royce knows exactly when he made the critical mistake that cost him the fight.  When he went over to his stomach and started swimming, it was all over...

This is one of those situations where the competitive fighter is beating themselves up with the "Man, why the hell did I do that?"


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## MJS (Aug 11, 2006)

upnorthkyosa said:
			
		

> I think that Royce knows exactly when he made the critical mistake that cost him the fight. When he went over to his stomach and started swimming, it was all over...
> 
> This is one of those situations where the competitive fighter is beating themselves up with the "Man, why the hell did I do that?"


 
Thats most likely the case here.  I think he under estimated Matt.  I really don't think that he has fought that many people on Matts level recently.  I'd like to see a rematch though.  The thing is, this sport continues to evolve, with the fighters getting better and better all the time.  IMO, Royce has alot of catching up to do.  

Mike


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## punisher73 (Aug 11, 2006)

Typical Gracie excuses, everytime they lose a fight it is for some other reason than the guy was just better.  He got owned and looked like he was a newbie against Hughes.  There wasn't a single part in that whole fight that Gracie had some semblance of dictating the outcome.  

Then stating that they knew exactly what Hughes was gonna do and there were no surprises. Ok, I'll buy that Hughes beat him down like he does most fights. Take them down, gain positional control and pound away.  Gracie did NOTHING with that knowledge to try and implement his own gameplan.

I respect the Gracies for the accomplishments that they have made, but I really do lose respect when I hear all the excuses everytime they do lose now.  The Gracies need to realize that the MMA game has moved on and they were left behind since they will not crosstrain.  The only way I want to see a rematch is if Royce drops weight to 170 (Hughes) or 185 (Rich Franklin) and competes in that division and earns himself a title shot like everyone else.  At this point Hughes has nothing to gain by the rematch but alot to lose.


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## James Kovacich (Aug 11, 2006)

punisher73 said:
			
		

> Typical Gracie excuses, everytime they lose a fight it is for some other reason than the guy was just better.


I read the article. Pretty much, he answered the questions that he was asked and didn't rant about anything. He stated that he and they knew how and what to expect from Hughes and that he overrained and that was what he did wrong. That is totally understandble.

Have you ever been fatiqued enough that you had to take time off from training? It happens. I'm not saying that is what I saw but you led off with "Typical Gracie excuses" and his family deserves more respect than that.

It reminds me how everyone states "now" that grappling was in their systems all along.


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## Elayna (Aug 11, 2006)

This may be really off topic...

But I saw Matt's XMA documentary by discovery channel I think it was....
Well not only did I think the techniques were awesome..
But...OMG hes cute. 
LOL LOL LOL

Anyways.....


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## gardawamtu (Aug 11, 2006)

Elayna said:
			
		

> This may be really off topic...
> 
> But I saw Matt's XMA documentary by discovery channel I think it was....
> Well not only did I think the techniques were awesome..
> ...



I think you mean Matt Mullins, not Hughes.
As far as cuteness, you'd have to ask my fiancee, she'd know.


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## J-Man (Aug 11, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> MMAWeekly: Do you want a rematch with Matt Hughes?
> 
> Royce Gracie: Of course
> 
> ...





LOL...:lol:


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## punisher73 (Aug 11, 2006)

> his family deserves more respect than that.


 
They deserve respect for their contribution to MMA.  That still doesn't change anything that they have some excuse everytime they lose.  I'll try to find it, but in an interview with Royce they asked him about Sakuraba (who beat Royce when the corner threw in the towel after Royces' special rules of no time limits and he got exhausted) being nicknamed the "gracie-killer" and he said that Sakuraba just picked a better strategy that night, it didn't mean he was necessarily the better fighter.

After his loss to Hughes the family said Hughes had good GJJ, yet in prior interviews it was always talked about Hughes being just a wrestler.  In fact prior to the fight Royce said "I'm going to apply a submission hold, choke him out, help him up, send him home." and "This is the house I built".  Again, in prior interviews he talked about how great his training was and how Royce and his group take two days off before any fight to relax and just hang out.  Just admit that Hughes was the better fighter and that you'd like another shot, or that the fight didn't go as planned and you want another shot.  That's all I'm saying, don't belittle your opponent to justify your loss.


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## cfr (Aug 23, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> I'd like to see a rematch... AFTER Royce has a few other UFC fights and wins. First fight in a Octagon under current rules should not be against the champion....


 
Agreed. I think he should need to work his way up the ladder like everyone else. I also would rather see Hughes fight people that really deserve to fight him, not someone that deserved it a decade ago.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 23, 2006)

cfr said:
			
		

> Agreed. I think he should need to work his way up the ladder like everyone else. I also would rather see Hughes fight people that really deserve to fight him, not someone that deserved it a decade ago.


 
Either he should retire (which is what I think should happen) or he should work his way up for a title shot.  He is no longer the champion, that position is now in Matt Hughes hands.  Just my thoughts on the matter.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## Andrew Green (Aug 23, 2006)

Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock headlining a UFN, that would draw a audience 

Maybe bring back a bunch of that firstr generation of stars and do a whole show (UFN - Legends?) of them.  Keith Hackney, Dan Severn, Tank, Kimo... and Joe Son, we can't forget Joe Son 

Big draw, get the "old" fans excited, and not have the beatdowns associated with bringing a guy out of retirement to fight a top level guy right off the hop.

I'm sure it is all business, the only way they can get the really big stars of old back in is with a big paycheck, and the only way to justify that is to put them up against a top star of today so that they can be a headliner.

Don't think it would work to pay Royce 1.2 million to fight someone with 2 UFC fights and a getting a purse that is still under 10,000 even if he wins...


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 23, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock headlining a UFN, that would draw a audience
> 
> Maybe bring back a bunch of that firstr generation of stars and do a whole show (UFN - Legends?) of them. Keith Hackney, Dan Severn, Tank, Kimo... and Joe Son, we can't forget Joe Son
> 
> ...


 
I would watch Royce vs. Ken on Spike TV.  I would not pay for it but I would defintely be very interested in it for free on Cable.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## gillpad (Aug 27, 2006)

I guess the natural reaction to getting beat, no matter how convincingly, is to want a rematch.  Unfortunately, age doesn't seem to bring enuf wisdom to stifle such urges.  Hughes to totally dominated Gracie that a rematch is almost unthinkable.  This fight was the first one I had ever seen where Gracie was without his Gi, revealing someone who really hasn't much muscle, and who, without his main weapon, is obviously, almost, defenseless against a fighter (s) like Hughes.  The same sort of thinking might be applied to the Shamrock/Ortiz matchup-- #3.  Ortiz so totally dominated Shamrock in the second fight and the first, that a rematch seems almost ridiculous; and perhaps it is.  But at least it is not a pay per view -- I mean who would pay to watch it? Also, Ortiz might just not be as up for this one, since it isn't a huge pay per view fight, and it the 3rd fight for them -- he might not be as pumped.  This may not have a huge effect on the eventual outcome, but it may not end in the lst minute either.  Perhaps without all the hype, and because it isn't such a 'huge' event, Shamrock will retain some of his former edge -- and not fold like someone who has never fought before!


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## Ybot (Aug 29, 2006)

I never thought that Royce would win, but I did expect more of a fight than this.  After seeing the first one, honestly, I'd have to pass on the second unless it was free tv.  I don't think that Royce has, or ever had, the tools he needs to beat Hughes.  I greatly respect Royce, but this is a totally different sport than when he started.

As far as his comments, I have to say I take them with a grain of salt.  I've met Royce and he is a nice guy with supreme confidence in himself.  He and his brothers were brought up believing they were special.  When your brought up that way, of course your going to believe that you can win, no matter how often you lose.  Really it's a good attitude to have, because it's the attitude of successful people.  The thing is he's running into a brick wall with Hughes, and if you let him he'll keep doing it.


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## Odin (Aug 30, 2006)

I hope he doesnt fight him agian, Royce has to understand that his time in the ufc is done, if he continues to fight he will do nothing more then destroy his name I've already heard the new generation of MMA'ers come out with things like 'Royce gracie was over hype rubbish Chuck Liddel would destroy him' and things like that.

Please Royce quit while your a head bro!


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