Much of the conversation as UFC 135 closes in has centered on the verbal battle between main event competitors Jon "Bones" Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and understandably so.
Still, with all the ruckus, other story-lines have been pushed to the back-burner -- most notably the impending retirement of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes.
With a record 18 wins inside the Octagon, Hughes was once one of the lynchpins of the UFC, alongside Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. Though now he just hopes to avoid the sad ending that befell his brethren. The former welterweight champion explained in an interview with MMA Heat's Karyn Bryant.
(When I retire) probably depends a lot on my wife. She sees the kids get sad when I leave, and she gets real nervous fight week, and especially fight time. She's been real smart with our money. I kind of make the money, she invests it. We don't need the paychecks anymore, so you've got to call it quits someday.
I would love to go out on top. I hate seeing Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell go out with losses. Would love to see them come back for one more fight, get their hand raised, and then retire. And I put myself in the same boat.