Born and brought up in Illinois, Chicago, Matt Hughes claimed his first UFC belt by defeating Carlos Newton for the welterweight championship. The fight had one of the craziest endings in UFC history.
In the second round, Newton had Hughes in a triangle leg choke. It seemed like Hughes successfully lifted Newton and slammed him on the floor and knocked him out. However, seconds later Hughes told his coaches that he was actually out and hence didn’t actually slam Newton on the floor. The fight is one of the highlights of Hughes' career.
With two welterweight title reigns and seven title defences overall, Hughes was twice inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame.
His actions outside of the fight game have been controversial and traumatic, to say the least.
In 2017, Hughes was struck by a train near his home in Illinois. Hughes in an Instagram post revealed that it was a miracle that he made it through -
“According to my MRI, I should have never woke up from my coma. I should be dead or have what is referred to as a locked-in syndrome.”
In 2019, his wife Audra - Moore Hughes filed a restraining order against him and reported multiple incidents of domestic abuse. Matters turned worse as Matt’s twin brother Mark also filed a restraining order after revealing that Matt tried to choke his son.
Matt denied all the allegations of physical violence.
What is Matt Hughes' net worth in 2021?
According to Celebrity net worth, Matt Hughes’ net worth is estimated at around $8 million. His MMA earnings go over $4 million without the undisclosed bonuses. Apart from the fighter purse, Hughes has bagged two “Fight of the Night” and one “Submission of the Night” bonuses.
His Autobiography, Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History was mentioned in the New York bestseller list at No.21.
Hughes has also appeared / hosted various TV Shows. In 2011, he appeared as the host of Trophy Hunters TV. The show covers trophy hunting and is associated with the Texas Trophy hunters association.
He has hosted 2 MMA shows - Uncaged with Matt Hughes in 2013 and The Takedown with Matt Hughes in 2014. The Takedown with Matt Hughes was nominated for the “Best New Series” in 2015 at Sportsman’s Choice Awards.
Matt Hughes' Career Earnings
With the available data, The Sports Daily has estimated Matt Hughes’ net worth to be $2,115,000. It is to be noted that purses to Hughes’ early fights aren't available.
Below is the table of Matt Hughes’ top 10 paydays during his MMA career-
| Date | Event | Opponent | Purse |
| 19th Jul 2004 | UFC 48 | Verissimo | $110,000 |
| 22nd Oct 2004 | UFC 50 | GSP | $110,000 |
| 16th Apr 2005 | UFC 52 | Trigg | $110,000 |
| 19th Nov 2005 | UFC 56 | Riggs | $110,000 |
| 27th May 2006 | UFC 60 | Roy. Gracie | $110,000 |
| 23rd Sep 2006 | UFC 63 | BJ Penn | $145,000 |
| 3rd Mar 2007 | UFC 68 | Lytle | $150,000 |
| 10th Apr 2010 | UFC 112 | Re. Gracie | $200,000 |
| 23rd May 2009 | UFC 98 | Matt Serra | $260,000 |
| 7th Aug 2010 | UFC 117 | Almeida | $260,000 |
Matt Hughes' Endorsements
Matt Hughes’ recent endorsements can be figured out from his Instagram page. Apeman, Lifecykle and Purekana’s products have been endorsed by Hughes.
During his fighting days, CENTURY, BOWTECH, Toyo Tires and Tapout were some of his famous sponsors.
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