The UFC today confirmed that arch enemies Matt Hughes and Matt Serra will finally face off in the Octagon to settle their bitter score at UFC 98 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23.
Both former welterweight champions have been sidelined with injuries — Serra sustained an elbow injury in his loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ back in April and Hughes has been nursing a knee injury that he suffered in his loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 85: "Bedlam″ back in June.
Complicating the situation even more — as if it needed it — is the fact the Serra and his wife are expecting their first child sometime in April, which is the reason it could not happen sooner.
Serra and Hughes — who are about as opposite as two people can get — were opposing coaches in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 and were supposed to fight at UFC 79: "Nemesis" in December 2007. However, Serra had to withdraw because of a serious back injury.
The trash-talking has not stopped ever since and will more than likely ratchet up again sooner rather than later with their bout now less than three months away.
The good news this time around is that we now have a firm date, location and event number for the 170-pound showdown — important details that were absent prior to this point.
Finally.
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