UFC: 5 longest layoffs between UFC title defences

4: Matt Hughes - 525 days

UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes won the welterweight title twice. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning runs and defended his belt a then record seven times.

Hughes won the welterweight strap for the first time on Nov 2nd 2001, defeating Carlos Newton. He went on to defend five times until he lost the belt at UFC 46 on Jan 31st 2004 when he was submitted by BJ Penn.

The belt was subsequently vacated in a contract dispute between Penn and the UFC. This gave Hughes an opportunity to regain the belt when he faced Georges St Pierre for the vacant title at UFC 50 on October 22nd, 2004. Hughes won by an arm bar in the first round.

Hughes would then defend against Frank Trigg in April 2005 but this would be the last defence for a while.

Hughes was due to defend against Joe Riggs in November of that year however Riggs missed weight and for the first time the UFC had to call off a title bout due to weight cutting issues, the fight was now a non title bout. Hughes again won.

Next up, we would see Hughes in another non title bout against UFC pioneer and living legend Royce Gracie in May 2006. Hughes won in the first round by TKO.

525 days would pass before Hughes defended his belt against the only man who had at that point defeated him, BJ Penn. The fight took place on September 23rd 2006. Hughes went on to become the first person to stop Penn in a fight.