• UFC

Hughes at a crossroads as he waits on White's call

ESPN staff
March 21, 2012
Matt Hughes wants one more fight in the UFC © Getty Images
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Matt Hughes admits he is at a crossroads between one last fight or retirement but is refusing to speculate over his future in the UFC.

The former two-time welterweight champion has suffered back-to-back defeats to BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck, prompting suggestions that Hughes had fought his last fight in the promotion.

However, Hughes believes he still has unfinished business and is waiting patiently for a call from president Dana White.

"I'm at a crossroads between fighting another fight or retirement," he said on Fuel TV's UFC Tonight. "I'm 38, and I keep getting older, and the fighters keep staying the same age. I wanted the [autumn] and spring off, and now it's time to talk with DW [White].

"Dana's busy. So I'll hear from Dana when he wants something. Things have changed a lot. The UFC has grown, but that means Dana is busier right now. There are a lot of responsibilities that Dana wants to keep a hold of that he won't turn down [and] let somebody else do them.

"I don't know what's going to go on or what's going to happen yet. So we're still plugging away and we'll figure it out."

While Hughes is keen to have one last shot, he admits he can see the positives of calling it a day.

"[My wife] wants me to retire from fighting so fighting doesn't retire me," Hughes said. "If I don't fight any more, that means I get to spend more time at home.

"When you get a fight coming up, I'm gone pretty much Monday through Friday. I usually fly away because I think you get better training when you don't go home every night. So that adds up. You come back, and your kids kind of don't know who you are when you get done with the fight."

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