By Matt Serra
UFC Welterweight champion
Blake and Mac were having issues in the house, and I think my guys hit the nail on the head with Mac – while he was always respectful to me, behind the scenes, he seemed like a grumpy kind of guy that was just taking his bad mood out on Blake. I did not agree with what he said about Blake not being a fighter. Blake definitely had the least experience in the house, but he made it on to the show, he went through all the training sessions, and he fought. He didn’t freeze up, he may have been outclassed, but he was definitely game. Not to mention the fact that Blake’s knee was pretty seriously injured during the fight.
It seems that Team Hughes was leaning towards a J-Roc vs George showdown before tragedy struck Paul. We’ll see if they revisit that in the coming weeks.
Regarding Paul’s situation, having lived in that house for six weeks when on The Ultimate Fighter 4, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to get news like that. I definitely respected his decision to go home to be with his family. Family always comes first, and under the circumstances, it took a lot of heart for him to fight before leaving. He wasn’t on my team, so I don’t know how he was mentally, but I’m sure that was weighing on him somewhat. I was surprised, given the circumstances, how much pressure Matt Hughes put on him to get a win. Definitely not the approach I would have taken.
When they picked Rudeboy to go up against Paul, I felt good about the matchup. They had two completely different styles, so something had to give. I stressed takedown defense and submission defense in training him for the fight, and if he could effectively do that, he’d overwhelm him on his feet.
Paul came out and was definitely game, showing some submission skills on the ground. Rudeboy was able to neutralize Pauls’s submission attempts, and got the fight back to his feet. When he got there, he landed a really solid right to Paul’s jaw, and he must have hit him right on the button, because it was light’s out for Paul. I was thrilled with how the fight went, both those guys left it all out there and Rudeboy got a solid victory.
After the fight, I really did not agree with how Matt Hughes handled himself. This poor kid is fighting with a family tragedy on his mind, he’s seeing stars after getting caught with a devastating right hand to end the fight, he has the medical staff attending to him, and his coach is scolding him for not following the game plan. I understand the frustration’s got to be building over there, but the kid deserved better than that.
Anyway, we’re on a roll right now, that’s 4-1 in favor Team Serra. We’ve got control of the next fight and we’ll look to make it five straight next week.
Until then, take care everyone.
Comments (5)
You are a class act Serra. I was thrilled when you won the championship and I will be equally thrilled when you take the win against Hughes and keep the title. Who is he to judge you. You won the title - plain and simple. Nice. The champion does not have to justify himself, that is what Matt Hughes will have to do.
When Hughes shows his desperation for a win, he puts his team indirectly under a lot of pressure. Moreover, he takes his frustration on his team members and this got to put them down. On top of that, I think his misreading his fighters at times is another reason of his losses on the show i.e. in episode 6; Paul was in no mode for fighting though he said he was. The kid just received the devastating news of his cousin’s death. He was offered to leave the show for good or fight then attend the wake and make it back to the show; surely enough he picked the latter. I could tell Paul was messed up mentally, which is pretty normal when you lose a family member, when he walked to the octagon he took the wrong turn and was pulled back by one his coaches. This reflects how his mind was wandering all over the place; he lacked concentration which was vital.
Serra you my mans, I like Yughes and all but you my mans. You came through big time with everything. From what I have seen you are an excellent coach and a pro through and through. I am also glad that you said that true to your word dude is no longer teaching at your schools, he really did let you down as much as he did himself. There are so many guys that would absolutely love to have your respect and be an instructor at your schools. Dude should have had your back even if he was willing to let himself down. You're a class act Terra, even if you aren't the biggest or the baddest you're definitely the CHAMP!
Hi Matt,Great to see you at the seminar in Canada. It was nice to speak to someone from strong island, just like the old days. I hope you enjoy the picture of the old school Renzo Gracie academy in NYC. http://blog.motion4.com/schilling/photos/target15.html
Matt-S, congrats on all the success on the show. As all the viewers can see, you're a very good coach and that is why all your guys are coming up on top. Hughes is another Ken Shamrock who doesn't seem to have the right ideas for motivating his fighters; either that or he just doesn't care about the show. Despite Hughes and his awful coaching results, I wish you continued feats and can't wait to see you humble arrogant Hughes.
Take care