Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves

[( o Y o )]

Alves via KO round 2

I was a bit surprised knees didn't connect sooner. Looks like Hughes might have tweaked his knee getting dropped too.

Odd as it sounds, Alves ignoring the weight limit so blatently takes alllll the excitement out of this win for me.

[Grant Ellis]

Odd as it sounds, Alves ignoring the weight limit so blatently takes alllll the excitement out of this win for me.

Me too, can't have a title shot at welterweight unless you fight at welterweight.

Dissappointed he didn't make it, but he did look sharp.

[Titan]

I was surprised how big Alves looked. Looks very strong, too. I'm used to Hughes being the big and strong guy. All in all, I think the only thing to conclude from this fight is Matt Hughes is on his way down the ranks, unlikely to move back up, and Alves is going up.

[heckyl]

i got alves at +180 so i won a decent chunk of change.

[seese]

123251222-2
3 11:51am 3-Jun-08 7-Jun-08 Future MMA Fight Odds - UFC 85 - Welterweights -... +181
UFC 85
Welterweights
Matt Hughes vs Thiago Alves
Thiago Alves vs Matt Hughes

Same here and Werdum at +166

Utter domination which imo was expected. Maybe it was a bit too easy but the game is evolving and Hughes is not. He didn´t surprise in any way.

[miscmisc]

I was surprised how big Alves looked.

Well, I assume he was practically a MW on the fight day, so actually no surprise there...

Didn't this asshole ask for a title shot or something after the fight? In any event, he definitely didn't sound like someone who shouldn't have even been there.

[Titan]

Well, I assume he was practically a MW on the fight day, so actually no surprise there...

Didn't this asshole ask for a title shot or something after the fight? In any event, he definitely didn't sound like someone who shouldn't have even been there.

Matt Hughes is known to cut a lot of weight for his fights, but Alves still looked much bigger to me. Unless I was more drunk than I thought, or Hughes is lighter than before. I just went through the single fights before I went to bed last night, so I didn't catch the post-fight speeches.

[miscmisc]

Matt Hughes is known to cut a lot of weight for his fights, but Alves still looked much bigger to me. Unless I was more drunk than I thought, or Hughes is lighter than before. I just went through the single fights before I went to bed last night, so I didn't catch the post-fight speeches.

I assume Alves always cuts even more weight than Hughes does. I heard he was a fricking big dude outside the octagon. Instant MW, if you ask me, and this time he didn't even bother to make weight for the weigh-in. And of course, it bounced back like crazy on the fight day as always, and no wonder he looked so big.

Being such a hard wight cutter AND not making weight just pisses me off double. They should at least make some effort if they want to "cheat".

[K-1 Extremist]

Maybe he should get back on those Diuretics again. He was busted once for using them to cut weight. I can see why now. Would you hazard to say he cuts more weight than even GSP?

[FieldingMellish]

I assume Alves always cuts even more weight than Hughes does. I heard he was a fricking big dude outside the octagon. Instant MW, if you ask me, and this time he didn't even bother to make weight for the weigh-in. And of course, it bounced back like crazy on the fight day as always, and no wonder he looked so big.

Being such a hard wight cutter AND not making weight just pisses me off double. They should at least make some effort if they want to "cheat".

Oh God....

I just KNOW I'm going to get into trouble for this but I'm going to defend Thiago Alves for not making weight.

Here goes.........

Yes, Alves missed by a ludicrous 4 pounds but to claim he "didn't bother" to make weight isn't just being a bit too one-sided, its flat out wrong (in this instance at least).

Take a look at Alves' right ankle and how heavily taped it was.

Take a look at previous Alves fights and see how many leg kicks he throws, with both his left and right. Then look at this fight and note he didn't throw a single one with either leg.

A source I trust completely has told me just how bad Alves' right ankle was in the last few days he'd scheduled for weight-cutting and even that Alves simply shouldn't have been fighting last night but he refused to cancel.

Now, this wouldn't have been such a problem if Alves didn't cut so much weight, but still, his ankle IS the reason he came in at 174.

[heckyl]

i agree ^^ he even said he was sorry about it and that his ankle prevented the rest of the cut. i was wondering about the leg kicks and then he confirminated it after he won about the tape and all. people just give him shit for the diuretics he got caught for. other than getting caught for that, he hasnt missed weight before that im aware of until now.

[Soulrise]

It's a shame that Thiago's victory will be tainted by his failure to make weight but that's how the game goes. I've been on his bandwagon for a long time now and it was bittersweet seeing him get the victory but not the full credit that he should've. Maybe I'm just sippin too much on the bandwagon Kool Aid but I also find the ankle injury to be a pretty legit explanation.

[mugen67]

I don't see this win as tainted, I don't think that the weight made a difference in how the fight would have went, Hughes got him down anyway and couldn't do anything and that was his only chance for a win. I bet on Alves as well (this however was wiped out by a bet on Carneiro, last time I bet on that big of a favorite no matter how much of a sure thing I think it is), and this fight went pretty much the way I thought it would.

I understand that people on the internet get very angry about fighters not making weight, but this doesn't mean Hughes would have done any better. If there was a rematch, I'm sure the line would reflect that (not that Matt Hughes would take a rematch, he knows that it's not about the weight).

This is not to say that I think fighters should go around missing weight, I find the Carano situation somewhat annoying because she knows she doesn't have to make weight and probably doesn't try (and she fights girls from a lower weight class on top of that). Thiago is gonna have to make the weight in the future, and he made it in his last fight, so it is not really the same thing. I think he makes weight in his next fight.

Oh yeah, fuck St. Pierre for coming up with the whole lame-ass begging Dana White for a title shot thing, every time someone does that shit it is embarrassing for all parties involved including the viewers. At least Alves didn't get on his knees...

[miscmisc]

I just KNOW I'm going to get into trouble for this...

Oh, you certainly aren't. :)

When I say "weight cutters," he is automatically around the top of that list, and I don't care for that. Anybody who spends SO MUCH time and effort on cutting weight is an automatic thumbs down to me. It's just a personal thing beyond the level of whether it's "fair" or not, so it's probably totally futile to discuss it.

In short, I just don't like that dude, lol. When an opportunity to shit on a ridiculous weight cutter comes to me, I just take it like my life depends on it!

[Desdichado]

Well, as others have pointed out: if Alves knew that he would have trouble making weight, he should have contacted the UFC and/or Matt Hughes and told them about it. A catch-weight is something you agree on beforehand, not the day of the weigh-in. Now he made Hughes cut down to 170, while he knew he wouldn't make it himself.

[Jarzi]

Though I hate the fact that Alves didn't made weight, Hughes had absolutely nothing on him. Hughes is like Tito, former dominating champ of whom time has passed by.

[dragomort]

Oh God....

I just KNOW I'm going to get into trouble for this but I'm going to defend Thiago Alves for not making weight.

Actually I'll give you a thumbs up as well, as it's true and the fact that your position stays consistant is a positive, regardless.

I hate that he missed weight, but I'm just happy everyone didn't ignore it like happened for Gina is all.

[Chewbaca Joe]

Alves just explained a little to MMA Weekly: http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6454&zoneid=13