Few have achieved as much as UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in his dominant 13-year UFC career. In one of the most revealing interviews yet, discover how his skill and determination secured him the welterweight title despite admittedly not training his core and having a relaxed diet. Yes, you heard right…

It may come as a shock to learn Matt Hughes – a man who has won the UFC welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times and boasts the record for the most wins in the world’s largest MMA promotion – freely admits that, until recently, he never trained his core.

Yet this is just the beginning of a long list of surprising revelations from the UFC Hall of Famer.

As the mid-day breeze calmly blows over his farm down in Hillsboro, Illinois, Hughes sits on a hay bail and relaxes.

Apart from the cage, these are his most natural surroundings.

The harvest season is quickly approaching and amid the smell of corn lies the faint hint of sweat. He has just arrived from training at his local gym after a hard day’s work drilling exercises that he admits still feel a little foreign to him.

“I’ve only really just implemented core training properly within my training regime,” he laughs.

“I’ve never been introduced to cleans and snatches neither so now I’m putting them both together to try and tie in my upper and lower body strength.”

It’s an enigma that such an elite athlete with a 45-9 professional record would disregard such essential aspects of strength and conditioning, but the 37-year old believes his unrivaled power previously came from not just slugging it out in the gym, but also from being just plain ol’ country tough.

“I was also raised on the farm here in Hillsboro,” says Hughes.

“I think that work ethic I learned here really hammered in a solid mentality that helped me out in MMA.

It also made me so much stronger. Just to think I was this tiny kid running around lifting 40lb bags of corn (laughs).

“I also used to cut wood a lot. I always enjoyed cutting wood and splitting wood. That’s probably where I built my core from swinging an axe and I still love to just go out there and do it.”

It wasn’t just trees that Hughes was swinging for down on the farm in his early years. He also accredits his rivalry with his twin brother Mark, whom he used to fight and wrestle with.

“My rivalry between me and my brother really pushed me to train harder,” he says.

“That competition even lives to this day. We both want the better-looking wife, the faster truck and the stronger tractors. It’s a sickness that’s grown up with me but my young competition days with my brother really trimmed me into shape. 

“He was tough and still is. He’s maybe not as technically advanced as I am but he’s a really mean, powerful guy. 

There’s a lot of people around Hillsboro that would much rather fight me than Mark, as I’m gonna put somebody to sleep whereas Mark’s gonna put them in hospital.”

Hughes spent many years wrestling training with his brother.

He accredits his strong wrestling base a cornerstone for his success in the cage today.

“Being able to control somebody has really helped me in my gameplans and my type of grappling,” he says.

“The wrestling gave me that control. It also certainly helped me with my desire to compete and be a champion.”

A rough life down on the range, a formidable wrestling base and a strong sibling rivalry has clearly paid off. Holding 17 TKOs, he is known as one of the most powerful pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC.

Apart from a highlight reel of brutal combos, supercharged slams and relentless takedowns, aficionados are sure to have seen his infamous ‘100lb club’ videos on the Internet that demonstrate his superior strength.

“The 100lb club is where you take a 100lb dumbbell and you have to lift it with one hand all the way above your head,” laughs Hughes. 

“If you use the other hand you have to put it back down and start again. If you manage to do it then you’re in the 100lb club.”

He pauses and thinks for a second as the question of starting a 150lb club is playfully presented to him.

“Hmmm, I can do 120lb but I can’t go any further than that,” he modestly admits.

Apart from lifting the equivalent body weight of a Great Dane above his head with one hand, Hughes also has an incredibly high pain threshold. Going through training to become certified to use a Taser, Hughes had 50,000 volts of electricity fired through his body yet nonchalantly states that “it didn’t hurt that much.”

“It hurts for five seconds but after that it’s all over,” he says.

“It’s not that big a deal. It’s not like Mace where it lingers for ages.

You do it and then it’s over.”

Hughes’ indifference to Tasers may show an extreme aspect of his character, yet his career is built around the ability to push through pain boundaries. In his time in the Octagon, he’s had a host of epic and bloody battles from his showdowns with Georges St Pierre and BJ Penn, to his power bomb KO over Carlos Newton.

As with every champion comes a champion support network.

His former fight team, Team Hughes, operated out of The HIT Squad gym in Granite City, Illinois, but now Hughes has sold it and admits to having “no official fight team.”

Still, this didn’t stop him from assembling some of MMA’s legendary trainers and fighters to help him prep for his most recent clash with Diego ‘Dream’ Sanchez (formally ‘Nightmare’ Sanchez) in September. Hughes brought in his long-time trainer, fighter and friend Pat Miletich to his gym in Hillsboro.

The former owner of Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa, Hughes would train there with Miletich in the early days of his MMA career.

Much like Ken Shamrock’s infamous Lion’s Den, it was one of the first majorly respected MMA gyms in the world.

“Pat has made the biggest difference to my career,” says Hughes, reflecting on the days spent with the former UFC welterweight champion. “When Pat had his gym and we were all up there he had a huge influence. He was a world champion before any of us so we all looked up to him because he was ‘the guy.’”

Hughes also brought MMA legend Jeremy Horn (another former member of Miletich Fighting Systems) to Hillsboro to help him train, and former HIT Squad member and Hughes’ protégé Robbie Lawler.

Yet a surprising addition to his camp was former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn, who KO’d Hughes in his fight before Sanchez in just 21 seconds last November.

Both are infamous rivals yet seem to have settled the score in recent years, inside the Octagon and outside of it too.

“Neither one of us think about our fights. We actually kinda get along with each other and have the same weird personalities,” says Hughes.

“I didn’t realize that until I went to Hawaii and trained with him for the Jon Fitch fight. I’d say I enjoy his company because we joke around a lot. We’ll bet fights and just have a real good time.”

It’s no surprise that Hughes selected the men he knew well to help him prepare. It encompasses the old adage ‘if it isn’t broke, why fix it?’

Yet there are still areas of his training Hughes admits still need tweaking. BJ Penn’s right fist connecting with his chin at UFC 123 told him that.

“While grappling really came easy for me, as did submissions, it’s the footwork with boxing that I’m constantly trying to improve on because it’s so different to my footwork in wrestling,” he explains.

“Your hips are placed differently, your shoulders are placed differently.

It was just completely foreign to me when I started and I still need to work more on that.”

When it comes to training, it appears Hughes is a traditionalist.

He likes what he knows and knows what he likes. He reveals a slight disdain towards machines and instead encompasses the old-school practice of using free-weights.

“I’m a big free weight fan as opposed to all the machines,” he says.

“I think free weights kinda come and go but they’ll never die out.

I think you get far more strength from them and you have to use your muscles to balance them. Eventually we’ll all come around to the free-weights and there’ll be few machines.”

While he may still be able to dominate a barbell shoulder press, at 37 years old Hughes’ body is naturally slowing down.

He is the first to admit he’s had to develop his training to deal with the increasing physical demands on his body age presents.

“I have to work on flexibility a lot now. I try and stretch every night. There’s certain days where I just sit and stretch.

I train smarter now. When I was a kid I’d just train, train, train, but now I might start a little sooner and not be as intense all the time. 

“At my age I gotta watch what I do because if I get hurt I’m out for at least two weeks or something. I’m very careful not to hurt my body but I still make sure I get in that intensity when needed.”

An aging body also means an aging mind, but fortunately time has afforded Hughes with plenty of wisdom and experience to ensure he gets the most out of his workouts.

“Shoulders and back are my two favorite exercises but I hate chest workouts so I make the first day of my training week my chest day. Usually it’s Monday and if I don’t do it then, I’ll put it off and not do if for the rest of the week. I also do all my other least-favorite exercises at the beginning of the week.”

Of course, it’s not all toil and woe in Matt’s workouts; he’s known for throwing on fun training games for Team Hughes down at his former HIT Squad gym.

“A big one we used to love doing was HIT Squad dodgeball,” he says with a smile. “At the HIT Squad we had a big wrestling area that’s caged in and then a wall on the other side so it’s enclosed.

We’ve got three dodgeballs and when you get somebody out they have to go sit along the fence and when I get out those people have to come back in. It’s a race where there’s only one winner and just a great workout for reactions and footwork.”

Yet even away from all the fun and games when Hughes is slugging it out in the gym he admits that – aside from being with his wife and two daughters – he is happiest when he’s training hard.

“I think I’m the luckiest man in the world because I love going to the gym every day and lifting weight. I love going on the grappling mats.

Even going and doing my boxing is fun to me. Now I just wanna go to the gym and learn to lift all the time.”

It’s this passion for training that Hughes passes onto others. Hughes may be an MMA legend, but he is also a great mentor. As a former member of the HIT Squad and Miletich gym, Hughes helped Robbie Lawler prepare for his battles in the UFC and now for Strikeforce.

“It’s essential to have a good group of guys around you who keep you going,” says Hughes.

“When Robbie Lawler was fighting and I wasn’t on the card and I’d be cornering him, I always want Robbie to win more than I want myself to win. If Robbie’s training for a fight, he’s going to go out there and spar hard with me and I’m gonna take my lumps while making sure I don’t hurt him. I want him thinking positive the whole time so I’m not gonna go out there and submit him 20 times and get his confidence levels down. 

I think we really get each other prepared for our fights.”

So is there any advice the self-made mentor can give to the training junkies starting out in MMA?

“I’d tell you if you’re in the amateurs, stay there as long as you can.

That experience really means something. If you’re not in the amateurs, don’t take a fight you can’t win. A lot of guys try and fight better and better fighters and get ahead of themselves and I say 'never take a fight you don’t believe you can win.'”

As such a venerable and long-serving champion, it’s evident Hughes has a lot of wisdom to offer the aspiring MMA fighter.

Yet he wishes he could say the same when it comes to nutrition, as he makes another shocking admission.

“I wouldn’t say I’m strict with my diet at all,” he reveals.

“My theory is if I work hard enough to burn it off then I generally eat what I want. Last night my kids wanted Dairy Queen so bad.

I didn’t wanna take them yet I ended up doing it anyway but I didn’t get anything.

But if I wanted something I would have grabbed an ice cream cone.

I also eat five to seven small meals a day, but I don’t eat a lot. I’m sure nutritionists would advise me to eat more when I’m training hard.”

Carved like a modern-day Adonis, it’s hard to believe that Hughes is so flippant when it comes to nutrition. But as he goes on, he re-instills some faith.

“I simply just try to not eat bad fats and stay away from sugar.

I try not to eat too much red meat. I used to take a T-bone steak out, throw it on a skillet and fry it for lunch. I don’t think it’s the best thing for you to do that all the time. I try and use common sense.”

Hughes may not have a set draconian diet plan, but he shows a positive attitude towards generally eating healthy and, fortunately for him, he’s a big fan of catabolic foods. 

“Catabolic foods are foods where you burn more calories eating it than they supply. Foods such as apples are around 80 calories yet you use more than 100 calories burning them so you’re actually losing calories and potentially fat.

I’m lucky because I absolutely love fruit.

Fruit is nature’s candy to me. When I woke up this morning I ate two locally grown ripe peaches.”

Hughes also eats raw vegetables to ensure the highest nutrient intake (they lose nutrients when cooked) and rather than eating protein bars, he simply has pre-workout protein shakes to ensure he is getting his protein hit within the hour window after training where athletes require essential nutrients.

With such a catabolic diet, Hughes also requires foods that contain more calories for energy (anabolic foods). Despite revealing he doesn’t eat too much red meat he is a notorious hunter, regularly heading into the wilderness to catch deer, elk and other protein-rich beasts.

“I absolutely love hunting. I went down to South Texas and shot a nilgai [a common antelope]. I had the meat shipped up to me,” says Hughes. “My favorite animal to hunt has to be pheasant quail because you get to walk around and see the dogs looking for the birds.

You can talk to your buddies. When you’re deer hunting you have to be quiet and you shoot one time and that’s it. With quail your gun goes off a lot, you hang with your buddies and you get some exercise.”

A diet loaded with protein and catabolic foods is certainly good for a modern MMA athlete. Yet despite Hughes’ admission that he tries to avoid sugary foods, he still gives in to temptation every now and again.

“A lot of the times after a fight when I’m flying home I’ll buy a big one pound bag of M&Ms and a big pack of Twizzlers. They’re awesome!” he laughs.

By now the sun is beginning to set on the Illinois rural landscape and Hughes states that “all this talk of food is making him hungry,” so he heads in to recharge and refuel. After a series of surprising admissions, it’s clear that he isn’t as strict with every aspect of his training as one would imagine. But he doesn’t need to be, because for Hughes it all comes naturally. He’s naturally gifted, naturally strong, naturally determined and enjoys a predominantly natural diet.

And that’s what it takes to be a competitor, an athlete, an elite mixed martial artist and, most of all, a UFC champion.

Free weights vs Machines

Matt Hughes revealed he prefers free weights over machines, but is there a place in MMA for both?

> Free Weights

Pros

Provides functional weight as the body is required to control the weight in all three planes of motion using stabilizing muscles.

As an opponent tries to knock you off balance with takedowns, kicks etc. these muscles will come into play and keep you on your feet.

Cons

If you are trying to target a particular muscle with a certain exercise, once the stabilizer muscles involved in this exercise are worn out it is very hard to go further and form can dip.

> Machines

Pros

If you’re simply looking to build mass, machines can easily target a particular area and build muscle.

Cons

Machines do not provide functional strength training a fighter needs as they do not work the stabilizer muscles.

> Fighters must utilize both for maximum results

Machines can be used to supplement a free-weight workout.

For example, after a fighter does a tough chest workout with free weights, his shoulder stabilizer muscles may be so exhausted he may not be able to do any more reps. However, by finishing off with some machine training he is able to take some of the load off his rotator cuff and get those extra sets out, thus further building strength in his chest. This way he has engaged in both functional training and added strength training.

Lat pulldowns

Not feeling the strength benefits of you lat pulldowns anymore?

On a standard bar, try fiddling around with different grips. A closer grip emphasizes the lower lats, and a wider grip the opposite. Or opt for a reverse grip to boost your biceps.

Dumbbell curls

Dumbbell curls get boring quick. But there are other ways to feel that burn. How about giving reverse dumbbell curls a go? Assume your normal stance but twist your wrist so the palms are facing the floor as you lift. A real killer on your forearms.

Get carved with catabolic foods

For Hughes fans, it’s easy to adopt his catabolic diet. Eat these foods and burn calories rather than piling them up

> High-grade catabolic foods

Fruit: Blueberries, pineapple, watermelon, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, raspberries, plums, pears, cantaloupe and strawberries.

Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, parsley leaves, radishes, cabbage, spinach, sweet potato, tomato and zucchini.

> Low-grade catabolic foods

Fruit: Apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, honey-dew melon, nectarines, peaches and tangerines.

Vegetables: Green beans, string beans, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, fresh chives, corn, dill pickles, endive, garlic, onions, parsnips, peas, pumpkin, red cabbage and turnips.

Seafood: Crab, flounder, cod steak, cooked lobster, mussels, shrimps, prawns, tuna, trevally and cooked clams.

Meat: Any kind of white meat with no fat.

Raw Vegetables

Matt Hughes espouses the benefits of eating raw vegetables due to the nutritional trumping of their cooked comrades. Problem is they don't always taste great. Why not drizzle on olive oil and add some black pepper? They'll go down easy.