170 lbs: Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie
Odds: (-500 Hughes / +300 Gracie )
The third bout of the evening features two legendary figures in the sport, as skilled jiu-jitsu fighter Renzo Gracie, who is responsible for training some of the best fighters in Mixed Martial Arts, will look to avenge his relative Royce’s loss against UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. Hughes looked completely dominant against Royce, but Renzo is the much more competent and well-rounded Gracie, so this should actually be a pretty competitive fight.
Obviously, the Gracie family name is synonymous with jiu-jitsu, and Renzo is just as prolific a grappler as anyone who carries the name. Unlike some of his more famous relatives, though, Renzo also has a fairly solid wrestling game and some decent boxing to complement his grappling game. He is not a dominant wrestler like Hughes, nor is he a feared knockout artist, but he is nowhere near as one-dimensional as Royce, and he is not going to get steamrolled on the ground quite so easily.
Hughes, clearly, is one of the most revered and successful fighters in the history of the UFC. A dominant wrestler and ground and pound fighter, Hughes’ slams and his relentless wrestling made him the longest-reigning Welterweight champion in UFC history. He also has a largely unrecognized but still quite good submission game, and very good submission defense.
Renzo is a great fighter, but Hughes is just better. Hughes earned a decision win against Renzo student Matt Serra in his last fight, and Serra is like a more dangerous version of Renzo. I don’t think Hughes will completely overwhelm Renzo the way he did Royce, but he will score takedowns and pummel Renzo from top position en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Prediction: Matt Hughes via unanimous decision victory.
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