Mike Swick attempting to secure Matt Hughes fight

Earlier this month, news surfaced that former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was looking to potentially return to the Octagon if he felt he could win his return fight. That prompted UFC icon Royce Gracie to release a statement in which he campaigned for a rematch with Hughes, who was TKOd by Hughes at UFC 60 over a decade ago.

Now, UFC veteran Mike Swick has revealed to BloodyElbow that he has been working relentlessly to secure a fight with Hughes.

“I saw this interview with Matt Hughes where he was talking about coming back, if he could find a fight that he thought he could win,” Swick said. “All fingers were pointing to Royce Gracie, and obviously now it’s a little bit more open that he’s pursuing this fight with Royce Gracie, and I couldn’t resist. I am trying every single angle I can to get that fight because I don’t want to fight anyone else. I honestly don’t. But Matt Hughes is somebody that I wanted to fight in the prime of my career, when he was a champion. I fought on the undercard — I was co-main event of the fight when he fought Gracie the first time [at UFC 60 in 2006]. We fought at the same time, I was a contender and he was the champion, and we were relevant at the same time.”

“He wants to fight a 50-year-old Gracie now,” Swick continued. “And so I had to step in, and I’m doing everything in my power to get this fight. I’ve always wanted the fight, and I don’t think he should fight Gracie. I think Gracie’s done enough, he’s a legend, he can live his life and have a good time. If Matt Hughes wants to fight, and he wants some money and he wants to have a fight again, then I think he should earn it, and I think he should fight me. I’ll come back and I’ll take that fight in a second. So, I’m doing everything in my power to get this fight. He’s ignoring all of my attempts — I’ve been on Twitter, I’ve been on Instagram, and we’re about to follow up with some more stuff — I am literally trying everything I can to get that fight.”

Only time will tell if Hughes is willing to return to the Octagon for a fight with Mike Swick.

on 3/30/2017.