Matt Hughes has suffered one of the more jarring injuries of his life, and it had nothing to do with a cage or an opponent.
The UFC Hall of Famer and two-time welterweight champion posted a photo from a hospital bed on Instagram this week, with the image showing that the 52-year-old is missing the middle finger on his right hand. Hughes did not reveal how the injury occurred, keeping the circumstances to himself while letting the photo speak for itself.
He did find some lightness in the situation despite the severity of what happened, responding to fans in the comments section with characteristic good humor. When one follower joked that Hughes had been “safer” inside the Octagon, he replied without missing a beat.
“Who says retirement is boring?”
In his caption, Hughes also offered a brief reflection on the experience.
“Luckily, God’s been real good to me. He left me nine more to work with.”
The reactions from the MMA world came quickly. Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping posted “Oh s—!!!” Former welterweight Alan Jouban wrote “My man. Hope all is well as it can be right now.” Former WEC champion Urijah Faber responded with “Oh snap!!!” Former Strikeforce titleholder Josh Thomson noted “You had less injuries fighting.” Bryce Mitchell added “Hope you heal fast champ.”
The Illinois native became the UFC welterweight champion in 2001 by knocking out Carlos Newton with a slam and went on to defend the belt seven times across two separate reigns, losing the title twice to BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre in fights that remain among the most significant in the division’s history. He also faced Royce Gracie, Matt Serra, Frank Trigg, and a host of other prominent names across a 54-fight professional career that came to an end in 2011.
Hughes has dealt with significant health challenges in the years since retiring, having been struck by a train in 2017 that left him in a coma and required an extended period of rehabilitation. His recovery from that incident was considered remarkable by those who followed his progress, and he has remained a visible and well-liked figure in the MMA community throughout his post-career years.