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When Matt Serra returned to the welterweight division in 2005, the weight class was dominated by Matt Hughes.
Hughes had just defeated Georges St-Pierre to win back the title after losing it to B.J. Penn. Prior to the Hughes and St-Pierre rematch at UFC 65, Serra was on The Ultimate Fighter 4 as a welterweight contestant. St-Pierre was a coach during the season and Hughes appeared as a guest coach.
Serra and Hughes would go on to have an intense rivalry that began during the filming of TUF 4. Serra explained what started the rivalry on his YouTube channel and how it centered around St-Pierre.
“On season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, we didn’t have – usually they have set coaches – because we were all veterans we had guys just helping out as coaches. Randy Couture, Mark DellaGrotte from Boston, a great Muay Thai coach, and we have Georges St-Pierre. Matt Hughes came in too,” Serra explained.
“Me and Matt Hughes, once upon a time, early on, first got along as well. We were friendly with each other. We used to goof. He was a farm guy. I was from Long Island, so we’d have a little banter with that. But nothing bad. It was always friendly. How I had a problem with Matt Hughes was directly due to how he was treating GSP on The Ultimate Fighter 4.”
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Hughes had recently defeated St-Pierre via armbar at UFC 50. One instance Serra mentioned occurred while at a restaurant. Hughes asked St-Pierre if he wanted him to teach him how to defend an armbar.
“It’s a reality show, so when we go back to the van we’re all talking. It’s the first time I saw Matt Hughes act like, like being a bully. So, obviously, I go right to the guys and go, ‘Dude, Matt Hughes, what a jerk off.’ We’re talking and they air that” Serra said. “Obviously I’m like, ‘I’m not cool with that guy anymore.’ But it all had to do with Georges St-Pierre because Georges is such a nice guy.”
