MATT SERRA
Matt “The Terror” Serra shocked the MMA world at UFC 69 in April by defeating Georges St. Pierre and capturing the UFC welterweight title. Serra earned his title shot by winning The Ultimate Fighter 4 on Spike TV, where he and his coaching adversary Matt Hughes first clashed verbally. They carry their war of words to the coaching realm on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs Team Serra, before the two meet in the Octagon at UFC79 in December.
Serra, a graduate of East Meadow High School in Long Island, New York, runs two Serra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academies, one in Huntington and another in East Meadow, where he trains with The Ultimate Fighter alumni Pete Sell and Luke Cummo. He began his own Jiu Jitsu training under Renzo Gracie in the mid 1990’s and was awarded the black belt in 2000, the first American to have such an honor under Gracie. The current welterweight champion has had a long and distinguished career in the UFC, with victories over Yves Edwards, Chris Lytle, and Georges St. Pierre under his belt.
The 33 year old Serra recently wed his girlfriend of many years, Anne, and lives and trains in East Meadow, NY.
MATT HUGHES
Former welterweight title holder Matt Hughes is one of the most dominant champions in the history of The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, successfully defending his crown seven times over two stints as champion. He eyes a shot at the current welterweight champion, Matt Serra, this December, but first he is matching wits with Serra as coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs Team Serra. It will mark his second coaching appearance on the show, having served opposite Rich Franklin on The Ultimate Fighter 2.
Growing up in Hillsboro, IL, Hughes was two-time 145 lb. state wrestling champion and High School All-American while attending Hillsboro High School. He went on to become an All-American at Lincoln Community College, where he received an Associates of Arts Degree, and earned the same honors at Eastern Illinois University.
A veteran in the MMA world, Hughes made his debut in 1999 at UFC 22, defeating Valeri Ignatov by decision. It was the first of many victories, as Hughes, perhaps the most well known member of Team Miletich, employed his immense physical strength, wrestling skills and striking ability to become one of the greatest “ground and pound” fighters of all time, carving out a 41-5-0 record.
The 33 year old Hughes currently lives and trains in Hillsboro, IL, where he and his wife Audra raise their two children, son Joey and daughter Hanna Grace.
