What is Matt Hughes’ net worth?
| Net Worth: | $8 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 49 |
| Born: | October 13, 1973 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.75 m |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
| Last Updated: | November 29, 2022 |
Introduction
Matt Hughes is an American mixed martial artist who has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame after a long and successful career.
Hughes previously fought for several smaller promotions, and he had a total of 54 professional matches.
As of January 2023, Matt Hughes’ net worth is estimated to be $8 Million.
Matt Hughes Facts
- Hughes was born in Hillsboro, Illinois, and grew up in the town.
- He attended three colleges after high school, including Eastern Illinois University where he was a wrestler.
- In 1998, Hughes made his MMA debut by defeating Erick Snyder at Jeet Kune Do Challenge 1.
- The next year, Hughes won his UFC debut by defeating Valeri Ignatov, but didn’t fight with the company full-time until 2001.
- Hughes won the UFC World Welterweight Title twice and had seven title defenses.
Early Life
Matthew Allen Hughes was born October 13, 1973 in Hillsboro, Illinois where he would wrestle and play football while in school.
Hughes attended three colleges, continuing his wrestling career, and became an All-American at Eastern Illinois University before turning his attention to submission wrestling.
He took on the likes of Tito Ortiz during his amateur wrestling career, and began training in mixed martial arts during the late 1990s.
On New Year’s Day in 1998, Hughes made his MMA debut by defeating Erick Snyder in just 15 seconds, and spent the next few years fighting for several different promotions.
Career
Matt Hughes made his UFC debut in 1999 with a win over Valeri Ignatov and returned to the company a year later for matches against Marcelo Aguiar and Dennis Hallman.
His 30th career win would be a big one as he claimed the UFC World Welterweight Title with a victory over Carlos Newton and held the title for over three years.
Hughes lost the belt to BJ Penn, but would win it back later that year against Georges St. Pierre when it became vacant.
Over the course of his UFC career, Hughes took on fighters including Renzo Gracie, Chris Lytle, and Thiago Alves before retiring in 2011.
Hughes finished his professional MMA career with a record of 45 wins and 9 losses, including dropping his final two matches.
Matt Hughes’ Career Earnings & Net Worth
Matt Hughes isn’t one of the richest MMA fighters in the world, but did enjoy a solid career in terms of payouts.
Many of Hughes’ checks from his UFC career were in the low six-figure range, with many coming between $100,000 and $200,000.
The largest checks came from his fights against Matt Serra and Ricardo Almeida, both of which were $260,000 and included win bonuses.
Hughes made a total of $2.1 million in payouts from his UFC career, and with his payouts from all promotions and endorsements, his estimated net worth is $7 million.
Personal Life
Matt Hughes has a twin brother named Mark that participated in athletics with Matt during high school.
In 2004, Hughes married Audra Moore-Hughes, and the couple had two daughters during their marriage.
Prior to their relationship, Moore had a son, and the couple filed for divorce in 2019 after several allegations that Moore and Mark Hughes filed against Matt.
Hughes has an official website and is active on social media with an official Instagram account that is updated regularly.
Awards & Achievements
Matt Hughes may have had a troubled life after his fighting career came to an end, but he built quite a resume in the octagon.
He started to collect awards in high school including state championships and never looked back.
Here are Matt Hughes’ top awards from his professional fighting career:
- Two-time UFC World Welterweight Title winner with seven successful title defenses.
- Given the Fight of the Night bonus two times and the Submission of the Night once.
- Retired in the top five of most wins in UFC history with 18.
- Named by Sports Illustrated as having the UFC’s greatest fight against BJ Penn.
- Two-time entrant into the UFC Hall of Fame (Pioneer Wing and Fight Wing)
Hughes has many other non-fight awards and achievements, especially with his time at Eastern Illinois University.
He’ll be remembered as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history while also having some of the sport’s most memorable moments.
How Does Matt Hughes’ Spend His Money?
Matt Hughes has always had a penchant for some of the most expensive cars in the world, including classic cars.
Hughes especially loves Chevrolet trucks that were made in the 1960s, owning several that he has worked on with his brother.
Perhaps at one point, Hughes had aspirations of being one of the richest racing drivers in the world, but decided on fighting.
For the most part, Hughes isn’t much of a big spender and is still living in rural Illinois away from the glitz and glamour.
He prefers the simple life out in country and driving around his several trucks, while pocketing the rest of the money in his bank account.
Highlights
Matt Hughes was one of the best high school wrestlers in Illinois and continued his success into college.
After switching up to mixed martial arts, Hughes was passing one milestone after another at a record rate.
Here are some of the best highlights of Matt Hughes’ career:
- Won his mixed martial arts debut in 1998 against Erick Snyder via knockout in just 15 seconds.
- Defeated Valeri Ignatov in his UFC debut in September 1999.
- Claimed the UFC Welterweight Championship in his 30th career victory, beating Carlos Newton.
- Started his second reign with the title in October 2004 by defeating Georges St. Pierre.
- Won his 45th and final match in August 2010 against Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117.
Hughes was instrumental along with Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell in making mixed martial arts a mainstream sports success and is still a big name to this day.
From the wrestling ring to the octagon, Hughes has had some of the biggest moments in grappling and combat sports.
Favorite Matt Hughes Quotes
Matt Hughes has never been known as a talker in the UFC, and has even been critical of guys like Joe Rogan and other commentators.
It’s hard to squeeze an interview out of Hughes, but in the rare cases he does talk, he’s had some interesting things to say.
Here are our favorite quotes from Matt Hughes:
- ” I really think the UFC could use a third man doing the broadcast that has some experience inside the octagon.” – Matt Hughes
- ” When you lose, say little…When you win, say less.” – Matt Hughes
- ” I just wish I could remember more about that day (of my accident).” – Matt Hughes
- ” I’m not going to worry about Georges until (our fight).” – Matt Hughes
- ” I don’t disagree with everything Rogan says, but there are a lot of things he says that I just laugh at.” – Matt Hughes
3 Amazing Lessons From Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes didn’t have the easiest life following his retirement, and has served as a bit of a cautionary tale in his post-fighting years.
The man who was once known for his quiet demeanor and great fights has seldom been heard from in recent years following near tragedy.
Now that you know all about Matt Hughes’ net worth, the most dominant champion in middleweight history can teach a lot of lessons.
Here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Matt Hughes:
1. Find The Right Spot
During his college wrestling career, Matt Hughes didn’t settle in just one spot and instead found the right one.
Hughes had left Southwestern Illinois College and Lincoln College before settling on Eastern Illinois University where he could shine.
The decision allowed Hughes to face some tougher opponents and get more national attention.
2. Learn As Much As Possible
Matt Hughes was obviously one of the best wrestlers in mixed martial arts history, but liked to have a wide scope of skills.
Hughes trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to add to his wrestling style, making him a versatile talent in the octagon.
The same thing applies to any job, where adding skills here and there can look great on a resume and get you a long way in life.
3. Have A Backup Plan
A lot of professional athletes go into their careers thinking that they’ll be at the highest level forever.
For Hughes, he knew that there had to be life after fighting, and he got into television following his UFC career much like Gina Carano did.
Hughes hosted the shows Trophy Hunters TV, Uncaged, and The Takedown and was even nominated for multiple awards.
Summary
Matt Hughes came into the UFC when it was still a new company and helped it to become a mainstream success.
Hughes became a UFC Hall of Fame member because of that, and was the most dominant champion that the welterweight division had seen.
He made millions of dollars thanks to his time in the UFC and he still reigns as one of the best to get into the octagon.
As of January 2023, Matt Hughes’ net worth is estimated to be $8 Million.
