Royce: i want one more fight,i want Matt Hughes

by Brian Hemminger source: mmamania.com

http://www.boxingrepublic.com/wp-con...yce_gracie.jpg
Brian Hemminger: How much would it mean to you to get on one last UFC event?

Royce Gracie: I have one more fight, but it's a specific fight only. It's one special fight. If it was against anybody else, ehhhhh, not interested. Been there, done that. There's always a new, better opponent, a tougher opponent. I just want one fight.

BH: Is it Matt Hughes? I think I've read in interviews or some articles that it was Matt Hughes. Is that the guy?

RG: Did I say it? I didn't say that. (laughs) I can't say who it is. Come on. But if you think about it, there's only one more.

BH: The first one I heard that really wanted to fight you was Art Jimmerson, the first guy you ever fought in the UFC. What are your thoughts on Art Jimmerson, the one-glove boxer?

RG: I think he wants to redeem himself for that, for wearing one glove. I win without giving one punch. I think he wants to take at least one punch (laughs).

BH: What about the guy who made more news recently for the fact that people thought he died than anything else, Kimo Leopoldo?

RG: Is he still alive? (laughs) I thought he died too. That was big news all over the place.

BH: What about this guy, he's actually been really active. He's still fighting. He goes around to county fairs and takes on nobodies but he's still fighting at 52 years old, Dan "The Beast" Severn. A man you defeated at UFC 4 in the finals.

RG: Dan is a grandpa now, come on. He definitely should stop fighting. Fighting at county fairs? Come on. He gave me his best shot back then and could not beat me and he got that stuck in his throat.

BH: This guy is in desperate need of a paycheck. He said fighting you at UFC 134 would guarantee to be the biggest pay-per-view ever, Ken Shamrock.

RG: Ken never won a tournament. He's gotta stop, man. I beat him in less than a minute at the first UFC.

BH: Okay, these last two guys have built reputations as guys who can beat Gracies. The first is Sakaraba.

RG: I already had my rematch with him. I'm done with him.

BH: The very last one, I don't know if this is even possible, I don't know if this guy is even alive but Wallid Ismail.

RG: I have no idea about him. He's somewhere in the jungle climbing the coconut trees in Brazil, man.

BH: You haven't said who you want for that last fight, but is he a country boy?

RG: (laughs) I need to show up. My last fight with him, I didn't show up.

for more
http://www.mmamania.com/2011/5/25/21...one-more-fight

woooow...eddie just talked about this. i think he needs to buy some lotto tickets if he DIDNT know anything about this before...
sadly, Matt would destroy him. its MMA now Royce, not Lil bit of M, MA

I got my blue belt off mr royce and although he still has it and although in person he is not as arrogant as he's made out to be, he's actually funny as hell.... but unless you can trade punches and at least land a couple of leg kicks so you can set up your takedowns you don't belong in the cage its sad to say because i will always love the guy prior to starting tenth planet he was the man i go to for grading in the most important thing in my life but yer matt would destroy him again.

I wonder if this fight will happen. Matt Hughes has started to show his age, I think the biggest thing Gracie did wrong in his first fight with Hughes was to undersestimate him and give up his back. I think that fight could have easily gone the other way too.

Royce is super nice in person, and massive respect to him for his accomplishments, but sadly MMA passed him by a long time ago. One dimension just doesn't cut it anymore. Matt Hughes would trounce him again, unless he went into the fight not taking it seriously.

Don't be so sure about Matt being extra dominant in this fight. In MMA people fall to senior citizen category sometimes overnight and Matt seems to be heading that way with a lot of other fighters. Even Dan looked like he was going that way in the Shields fight but then pulled himself together. Matt beat Royce when he was the strongest, prime dominant champion of the world, and once you fall from that kind of competition, a lot of stuff start to even out for you with other senior, older fighters.

Ummm Royce is 7 years older than Hughes :)