LOS ANGELES - At the post-fight news conference, UFC president Dana White said it best.

"I have said that Matt Hughes is the most dominant welterweight of all time, and it's a fact," said White. "He's a machine and an absolute monster. Anyone who gets in there with Matt Hughes is in for a rough night."

And UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie was the latest to find out just how rough it can be. Before approximately 15,000 fans, Hughes took it to the Brazilian star and scored a TKO at 4:39 of the first round.

"Sorry [about the loss]," said Gracie, donning shades and a baseball cap at the press conference. "It was an honor to be back and to fight in L.A. I am disappointed in the outcome, but I am glad he's [Matt Hughes] learning some jiu-jitsu on the side [laughing]."

For sure, bringing Gracie, an icon in the sport, back to the UFC was a shrewd business decision by Zuffa. The product is breaking into the mainstream and attracting new fans left and right. They matched him against the most dominant UFC champion ever in Matt Hughes and had them fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, an epicenter of glitz and glamour. And it all happened in a state, long a hotbed of MMA, that just legalized the sport.

However, some may have argued that the main event was a tougher sell to the hardcore fans. Gracie is no doubt a towering figure in MMA, but a look at his recent record might temper even his most ardent fans.

After defeating Dan "The Beast" Severn in 1994, Gracie was sporadically active in MMA, drawing with Ken Shamrock and Hidehiko Yoshida and losing an epic battle to Kazushi Sakuraba at the 2000 Pride Grand Prix. More recently, on New Year's Eve 2004, Gracie submitted the sumo wrestler Akebono by wristlock, but one year later struggled against Japanese lightweight fighter Hideo Tokoro, the contest finally declared a draw.

On the other hand, except for a loss to B.J. Penn in January 2004, Hughes has beaten every challenger to come his way over the course of five years and 18 fights. He has decimated opponents with brutish strength and an ever-improving set of skills. His jiu-jitsu has progressed so well that he's submitted five of his last six opponents.

Sentiment guided you toward Gracie, a man who revolutionized martial arts in this country, but reason pointed you toward the Miletich fighter.

In chronological order, following is an account and analysis of the fights.

 


Fighters: Melvin Guillard and Rick Davis
Winner: Guillard
How/When: KO at 1:37 of Round 1
Division: Lightweight
From the start, it was clear that the "TUF 2" veteran was the bigger and better athlete. Guillard dazed the debutante Davis in the first exchange and a few moments later dropped him with a punch. A lazy leg kick from Davis led to the end of the fight. Guillard countered the kick with a huge overhand right that landed on the temple, and Davis' legs crumbled.
Analysis: The New Orleans (Guillard) native was competitive in a stacked welterweight division, but as a lightweight, given his explosiveness and athleticism, he's clearly an early contender for the belt.

Fighters: Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabiano Scherner
Winner: Gonzaga
How/When: KO at 1:24 of Round 2
Division: Heavyweight
A straight right hand early in the second round caused Scherner's knees to buckle. Seeing that the fighter was hurt, the referee stepped in early.
Analysis: Gonzaga showed a lot of improvement in his second UFC fight. His striking was clean and accurate, and with his obvious ability on the ground, he could turn into a contender.

Fighters: Spencer Fisher and Matt Wiman
Winner: Fisher
How/When: KO at 1:43 of Round 2
Division: Lightweight
Wiman, a UFC debutante, looked on the verge of causing an upset in the first round. A tight guillotine choke caused a world of trouble for Fisher, but he eventually escaped,
In the second round, Fisher came out aggressively. He punished Wiman some more on the ground and then invited him to stand back up. A right hand stunned Wiman and Fisher followed it up with a flying knee-highlight-reel stuff-that ended the fight.
Analysis: Fisher staked his claim as a contender for the lightweight belt.

Fighters: Jeremy Horn and Chael Sonnen
Winner: Horn
How/When: Armbar at 1:17 of Round 2
Division: Middleweight
In the second round, Sonnen went directly for the takedown again, a strange move given Horn's expertise, and the veteran punished him for it. He secured an arm and the two fighters tussled in this position, with Sonnen sending punches to Horn's face and trying to free his arm. Expertly, Horn then switched strategies, attacking Sonnen's other arm. This time, there was no escape and Sonnen quickly tapped.
Analysis: Horn has been in the cage so many times that every aspect of the game looks second-nature. On the evidence of this fight, Horn looks nowhere close to retiring and seems to have found a home at 185. One has to wonder if he would consider facing Rich Franklin, a friend and training partner, if he earned a title shot.

Fighters: Mike Swick and Joe Riggs
Winner: Swick
How/When: Guillotine choke at 2:19 of Round 1
Division: Middleweight
After separating from the clinch, Swick launched a kick to the head that seemed to stun Riggs. "The Diesel" countered with a takedown attempt but kept his head down, his neck exposed. Swick sprawled, threw a knee and then transitioned into a guillotine choke, which is quickly becoming his signature move.
Analysis: Swick won a lot of legitimacy with this fight. Once the knockout artist, he is fast becoming a submission specialist. Riggs, on the other hand, hasn't impressed in a number of fights. A fan favorite, he nevertheless may be looking at some time at the smaller shows.

Fighters: Brandon Vera and Assuerio Silva
Winner: Vera
How/When: Guillotine at 2:39 of Round 1
Division: Heavyweight
The fight started out as a muay Thai exhibition, with both heavyweights showing great speed and agility in launching an array of kicks. After the fight went to the ground, the San Diego native stood up from bottom position, a la Chuck Liddell, but things didn't look so good as Silva grabbed a leg, picked Vera up and dramatically slammed him to the mat. On the way down, however, Vera slapped on a guillotine choke. It was an excellent example of how quickly things can change in an MMA fight.
Analysis: Vera, a small heavyweight, again showed that he could hang with the big boys. His speed and all-around proficiency should land him a title shot in the near future. If things don't work out for him there, the great thing for him is that he can easily drop down to 205.

Fighters: Diego Sanchez and John Alessio
Winner: Sanchez
How/When: Unanimous Decision
Division: Welterweight
In the first round, Alessio did what no one else has been able to do. He stuffed Sanchez's takedowns. Six attempts, no success. Alessio also punished Sanchez on a couple of occasions, delivering punches while Sanchez struggled for the takedown. It was the jab that opened a nasty gash over Sanchez's right eye.

Going into the final round, the fight was very even. A decisive moment came when Alessio dropped the conservative approach and launched a flying knee. Sanchez grabbed him, got his back and climbed aboard, scissoring his legs around Alessio's abdomen. The final three minutes were fought from this piggyback position. Alessio defended the rear naked choke but couldn't buck Sanchez from his back.
Analysis: The New Mexico fighter did enough to justify taking the third round, but he couldn't be too happy with the win. It was his sternest test to date and revealed him to be a fighter who needs to evolve. He'll need to improve his striking and become multidimensional if he hopes to scale the heights of the welterweight division.

Fighters: Dean Lister and Alessio Sakara
Winner: Lister
How/When: Triangle Choke at 2:20 of Round 1
Division: Light Heavyweight
Sakara, popular despite his short stint in the UFC, eventually pulled his arm out of an omoplata attempt, but it wasn't long before Lister, an Abu Dhabi champion, locked on a tight triangle from which the Italian had no chance of escape.
Analysis: Middleweight fighters beware. While his stand-up remains rudimentary, Lister is virtually peerless on the ground.

Fighters: Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie
Winner: Hughes
How/When: TKO at 4:39 of Round 1
Division: Welterweight
For once, Hughes was the villain in this tale, the crowd booing his every appearance on the large screens at Staples Center. Gracie, on the other hand, was cheered robustly.
In the opening exchanges, the only significant blow was a looping overhand right that, while not pretty, was pretty effective. The punch wobbled Gracie and reverberated through the arena, but the Brazilian soldiered on.

The fight finally went to the ground after the fighters clinched. Hughes ended up in side mount where he easily controlled Gracie, landing elbows to the body. Frustrated by his immobility, Gracie rolled and gave up his back. He rolled again and won half guard, but any sense of achievement was short-lived, as Hughes muscled his way to a kimura, which looked painful as he straightened out the Brazilian's arm. Gracie refused to tap and Hughes was forced to give up the hold.

The Miletich fighter continued to dominate the positioning. He won side mount again and then got Gracie's back. Punches and elbows crashed against Gracie's skull. Big John McCarthy gave the Brazilian a chance to defend himself, but before long it became evident that he was taking too much punishment.
Analysis: Hughes may be forced to play the villain again, as a rematch with golden boy Georges St. Pierre looms. It's an unfamiliar role for a man so used to winning fights and fans.
Gracie, on the other hand, says he's not done. Dana White says he would like to bring the Brazilian back. But whom would you match him against? The welterweight division is stacked with quality fighters who, in all fairness, might emulate what Hughes did.