By Matt Serra
UFC welterweight champion
I’m baaaaaack. I had such a good time blogging for Newsday during Season Four of The Ultimate Fighter, that when I was asked to give my thoughts on this season, I jumped at the chance. Hope you guys enjoy having me for a 2nd go round.
As you all know by now, I am a coach on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. I jumped at the opportunity when Dana approached me about it. Having done the show as a contestant on Season 4, I was in a unique position to be asked to be a coach later on. No one else had done that, and I thought it’d be a good experience. Plus, given that I had lived in isolation in that house for six weeks, I felt I could relate to whoever was on my team better having lived it myself.
I need to take a moment to acknowledge how supportive my wife Ann has been. We came out here two days after we got back from our honeymoon, and we had just bought a house together that we are still getting in order. A lot of women would have freaked out, but she came out here with me for the six weeks the show filmed, and it was nice to come home to her every night instead of fifteen bored dudes.
Anyway, my differences with Matt Hughes are well documented, and I wanted to get that out in the open the minute he walked through the door instead of being all buddy-buddy with him. I find it odd that he claims to have not bad mouthed me, when in the very next interview with him, he is saying how I am not even top ten in the world for the welterweight division. I’ve heard him say I got lucky against Georges St. Pierre, etc. As far as being a bad role model…that’s hysterical to me. Maybe I curse once in awhile on this reality show – we’re grownups! I think it’s less important that I curse once in awhile than it is that I treat people with a basic level of respect, and that I don’t run my mouth about people behind their backs.
During evaluations, George and Mac were the two guys who impressed me the most. That said, I was picking Joe #1 overall regardless because he is my student and I’m loyal to him….Hughes isn’t Obi Wan, there wasn’t any Jedi mind trick there. With my 2nd overall pick, I was between George and Mac, and I went with George.
Roman’s departure was pretty upsetting to me. He was a character and had a great attitude about fighting. He has one arm and wanted to fight, I was hoping that would serve as an example for the guys left to give it everything.
I wasn’t completely shocked when Hughes picked Joe to fight first. This was a winnable fight for Joey – I know his skills, and I really believe he had the ability to smother him with his jiu jitsu. The only thing that could possibly hold Joey back in the Octagon is his mind – sometimes I think he doesn’t have the confidence in himself that you need at this level. He had a look of concern when he got picked first, and I wanted to coach him up mentally. I thought I could prepare him for life in the house given that that experience was gong to be similar for him, but when it comes to the Octagon, every man has his own journey. I just wanted to make sure he was equipped for that journey.
When the bell was sounded to start the first round, Joey looked nervous in there, and once he got hit with that knee, it snapped him into the place he needed to be mentally. He had a nice reversal of a takedown, which was really impressive, but then at the end, I just think he found himself in a tough spot, and allowed the triangle to be set in. He didn’t get caught so much as he froze, and, eventually, I think he found a way out of the fight when he tapped, and that really upset me, especially with only 8 seconds left. His nerves got the best of him, and I can only hope he learns from his first trip inside the Octagon.
Comments (23)
Matt! Going for Team Serra all the way. Beat team Hughes down my friend...
My entire UFC community of friends and family is pulling for you. After you beat down Hughes I'd like to see you take on Gomi. Would you ever take that match up? =)
-E
Glad I found this blog. Really looking forward to what unfolds this season and more importantly - the Serra/Hughes fight.
Hey Matt great first episode sorry to see Joe go down. Got a chance to meet you at the NY state fair 9-1 and I've been a fan of your for a while now.
Take it to Hughes' team and take it to him when you guys fight for the belt!
Hey Matt,
Trained with you for a little while at your Huntington school. Life got crazy and I didn't have the time to keep going but have been watching your career explode and am looking forward to seeing this season unfold. Can't wait to see you shut Matt Hughes up in the octagon!
Dear Matt I'm pulling for you 110% bring em to the winning circle, and P-Lay Hughes.With a case of egomania like he has, he needs to be put in his place.
matt hughes sucks, bj penn would beat his ass if they fought again, he is the prodigy!
Matt,
I'm a big fan or yours and Matt Hughes. I gotta tell you though that it seems like you have forgotten all the class and sportsmanship that you exhibited on the last TUF. Now you are doing exactly what you accuse Matt Hughes of doing - being arrogant and egotistical. So chill with the name calling and just take care of business.
Sorry Serra. I have a feeling that Team Hughes will reign victorious over your team. With all due respect, I strongly believe that you are out-classed. Good luck in December, and May God have mercy on you, for Matt Hughes will not...
Yoooo supp guys? hah just wanted to show support and say im rootin for ya..just waitin to see you fight hughes haha ill be laughin the whole time...
Hope your team wins and I hope you KO MH when you fight.I used to like MH but I noticed some things about him I dont like and then when he was laughing after you fought GSP it made me sick,Gsp smashed him and you smashed GSP so who ever he was laughing at dont matter,he showed an ugly side to himself that night.
It's well known that you don't much care for Hughes and his "jock" attitude. I confess that I share some of your same thoughts on his demeanor as well, but I didn't always think this way. I liked him plenty. There was a time when I thought, "this guy rocks, he's apple pie AND baseball in one".
But during his coaching season on TUF that all turned and I perceived a different Matt Hughes - cocky, arrogant, and not very likeable.
Did you always feel the way you do now about Hughes?
If not, and you're like me in that regard, when did it change for you?
Did he change at some point, or was I just unaware?
Disclaimer - please note that our (us viewers and readers) perceptions, however correct or incorrect they may be, are birthed only from what we're able to see. Not knowing either of you in any way not shown on TV leaves great margin for error.
Good luck this year & welcome back to the lime light!
everyone that commented sound ignorant and straight out of long island. Serra you wont win your fight with Hughes, guaranteed!
Matt hughes and the rest of the entire MMA world think you got lucky against GSP.........and they are right, you know it as well Serra.
Team Hughes is going to win and then Hughes is going to take your belt away after 8 months of nothing. Its too bad beacause I wanted to see GSP mop Serra up.
Serra hope you enjoyed the fluke win cause as Tim Sylvia said about your win over GSP, "Lighting doesn't strike twice"
thing i didn't quite understand was when hughes was saying you were a bad role model and he had to change the channel when you came on cuz he didn't want his kids to hear your swear. somehow though he doesnt' seem to mind that whenever dana white is on the guy can't go a sentence without saying the f-bomb. bit hypocritical if you ask me
Guess my last post wasn't P.C. enough to be shown.
Anyways just wanna say that your money, and that after you two fight, Hughes should just retire and focus on modeling his clothing line.
leave it all in the ring.
no regrets.
Please Please Please beat the crap out of Hughes!!!!!!! Your a great Champion!
Serra you did get lucky against GSP, if you fight him 10 times you lose 9 of them. I can't wait until after the show so that Hughes gets to give you the beating you deserve. You are a bad role model and it's a joke you are a coach on the show. Enjoy your title for a another month or two until you lose your first defense.
terra the serra you're going down and matt hughes is taking you there don't worry you might get a re-match
Hey Matt,
I agree with you...being a good fighter is one thing...but at that level you also have to be a good role model. If you're ever in Sacramento come by Ultimate Fitness Center, we have a great facility.
Matt,
I really like you as a fighter and think your a great fighter and you are 100% right Hughes is a jerk. But I do believe that he is a better overall fighter. But I wish you luck cause he deserves to lose.
Wassup Buddy, Lovin' the show so far and well my friends would have my ass if they knew I was pulling for your team and over all for you to imbarass Hughes in your fight. I was in Houston and was well kinda pulling for GSP(got caught up in the hype i'll admit it), but what I learned from you and took from that fight was you can never take an opponent for granted and never feel as if you've got it in the bag, and on that single lesson alone I hope you get in the octagon and drop Hughes on his (#$@!%)back-side. He didn't learn from GSP's mistake and like the old saying goes,
"Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to relive it."
So hopefully you can teach the old dog a lesson to take with him into the "last couple of fights he has in him" and then into his retirement, so he says he only has a couple left in him.
Get him Serra, introduce Hughes to that MONSTER, GSP met in Houston that night.
p.s. N-I-I-I-I-C-E !!!!!
Hey Matt. All the Funtazia and LI boys hope you show Hughes what it is all about. Good to see Drago back on T.V too. Good luck...