Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History (Hardcover)

by Matt Hughes (Author), Michael Malice (Author)
Key Phrases: wrestling room, welterweight champion, Matt Hughes, Big John, Frank Trigg (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Though his name may not ring any bells for most, Hughes is a star among the growing audience for ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts competitions; in this workmanlike memoir, the nine-time Ultimate Fighting Championship Welterweight Champion recounts his journey to the top. His endearing tales of growing up in the small town of Hillsboro, Ill. do much to humanize the fighter, featuring vivid accounts of teenage mischief. Unfortunately, the attention to detail given to his adolescent pranks doesn't carry throughout the book. Hughes's impressions of Austria, United Arab Emirates and Japan, where he traveled to compete, are mentioned only in passing, an odd omission in the story of a young man from small town America; that space appears to have been reserved for intimate accounts of fights, but even these resist dwelling on gore or violence. Devotees will undoubtedly delight in Hughes' behind-the-scenes accounts of UFC goings-on, as well as a blow-by-blow account of his victory over the legendary Royce Gracie, but the more bloody-minded may find his restraint disappointing.
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Product Description
If you know anything at all about mixed martial arts and the UFC, then you know the name Matt Hughes. With devastating slams and ground-and-pound -- and nine championship belts to his credit -- Matt is the most dominant fighter in UFC history.

Matt was raised with his twin brother on a family farm in small-town Hillsboro, Illinois. Behind the postcard-perfect fields of corn, beans, and wheat stood a home consumed by bankruptcy, tension, and interpersonal struggles, but Matt reacted to hard times by playing hard and working even harder.

In high school and college Matt was an unstoppable wrestler, and he ended up a two-time Division I All-American. Whereas every year's top eight graduating college football players become instant millionaires, Matt got to stay on as assistant wrestling coach, doing electrical work on the side for fourteen dollars an hour. All of that changed the day he met legendary MMA manager Monte Cox, as well as Pat Miletich, a trainer who also happened to be the welterweight champion of the world.

Rising through the ranks of the independent fighting circuit and the UFC, Matt saw things that fans could only catch glimpses of -- until now. For the first time, a major UFC superstar has decided to answer all the questions the fans have about him, the organization, and the sport. You'll learn which fighter almost sent Matt packing from mixed martial arts; why he refused to speak to his role model, Randy Couture; and what his relationship with UFC president Dana White is like. He reveals in which match he found himself praying to God for help, why he originally refused a shot at the world title, and what it's like training at the Miletich Fighting Camp. Matt describes working on TV's The Ultimate Fighter, what really happened to Tito Ortiz during the legendary brawl on the streets of London, just how personal his rivalry with Frank Trigg became, and what it was like to go up against the mythical Royce Gracie -- and destroy him.

Matt discloses his most private thoughts and feelings during both his epic victories and his crushing losses. But when the gloves come off, there's Matt Hughes the man. He talks with unflinching honesty about his early hell-raising and his near-death experience, the moment he let God into his heart, falling in love with his wife, the birth of his daughter, and all the important events of his life -- and he shares personal photographs never before seen by the public.

A Christian, a family man, and a fighter, Matt Hughes could only have been made in America.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141694883X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416948834
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,716 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Country simple. But not in a wholesome way. , March 21, 2008

By	A. James - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wow. I thought I was stunned by level of drivel in this book but I'm even more stunned to find that 17 people gave this book 5 stars. I would love for them to tell me which parts made them laugh out loud.

Over and over in the reviews, the book is praised for its brutal honesty. Sure, it would be great if Jeffery Dahmer were candid about the tickles and delights of dismembering people and shagging them after he had killed them, but I'm not sure it makes his actions any more palatable. In fact, if 'ol Jeffrey, who also became a born again christian, were to tell us how he had learned and changed as result of his new found christian ways (or just with a little introspection), we may even be able to find *him* acceptable.

Matt, on the hand, tells us about how he's nasty to people and then leaves it at that. Throughout the book, his little anecdotes have no connection to each other and almost never lead up a realisation or a bigger point. It's almost like sitting next to someone on the bus who incessantly gives you a commentary like "That shop is open. That tree is green. That man looks angry."

And often he almost brags about some of the occasions when he was less than kind to others and feels fully justified and content with his actions.

Saying that, I don't have to like the protagonist of a book to enjoy reading it. But I think if I were to tap Matt, and I don't mean with an armbar or choke but rather like you'd tap a tree for sap, I'd probably discover the essence of boring. Though sadly, boring is not in great demand and so my discovery wouldn't help me recover the cost of this book.

Anyway, I don't doubt this guy's work ethic (and it's paid off too as he is a pretty damn good fighter) but it's possible that he did little besides train and fight because nothing much else seems to have happened in his life. Though he's happy to include loads of conversations of the "could you pass the salt?" ilk so that he could at least rob us of whatever more exciting time we could have had if we weren't reading the book.

Ah, the simple life.

It's sweet that everyone sees him as a simple country boy and family man. I mean just when the guy is about to get jiggy with a hot girl, this is what he writes:

I sat down on the bed, and she sat on top of me.
"So what's your favourite colour?" I asked her.
"Green," She said.
"Mine too."

Uhm. What is he...five? I haven't heard that kind of chat since I was in kindergarten. Well, at least he's being nice and lovely there. Imagine most of the book with that level of excitement but smeared with a good dollop of nastiness and arrogance.

If you are a fan of Matt Hughes, you'd be better off spending a couple of hours re-watching all his fights than you would the few hours you'd never get back if you read this book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Fighter, Horrible Book, January 30, 2008

By	Tyler M. Hennessey (Marina Del Rey, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Matt Hughes is an asset to the UFC, whether you're rooting for him or against him....but his book is just terrible. I wish it was more interesting, because he is very interesting to watch fight, in my opinion. The book has no heart though. It's flat all the way though, and the way events are described are uninspired. Besides his fights, Matt's life is pretty boring. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make for a good book. Usually when somebody writes a book about themself, it is best if that person has come to some sort of knowledge, or realization about something. Some wisdom that they have lived their life to discover. An understanding. There is none of that in this book. There is one chapter about finding God and becoming a Christian, but the whole book is rittled with back handed compliments and insults to fighters he's faced, or that have said things about him. Seems like a lot of the book is a tool to settle scores publicly with people he dislikes (which is a lot of people). He is unfriendly and really rude to a lot of people. It's quite at odds with his devotion to religion. Unsettling even. I don't need him to be a good guy to watch his fights or even root for him. He is an interesting fighter. This book however was a waste of time. If youre not a complete fanboy, and if you read books often, this is one to pick up at the library. I wish it had been more.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rear-Naked Choke on Reality but - Entertaining for MMA Fans ..., February 23, 2008

By	Kevin Quinley "GeezerJock" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First, let's deal with the hype of the book's immodest subtitle. "The Most Champion in UFC History"?? Uh .... well, there is a guy named Randy Couture and his following who may have something it to say about that. When their respective careers have ended, there is little doubt that - as great as Matt Hughes was - Couture's legacy will overshadow that of the dude from Hillsboro.

At his peak, Matt Hughes was a "monster," in the best MMA sense of the word - a one-man wrecking crew who elevated the "ground and pound" to an art form. He was scary strong and could submit opponents with punches, arm-bars or chokes. Choose your poison.

"Made in America", which begins rather abruptly and with little context, is not altogether a flattering portrait. For example, the dude needs some anger management lessons. So his Dad used to come home in a grouchy mood. So Matt and his brother gang up to beat up the old man. Matt's twin brother was 90 minutes late picking him up, so Matt punches him in the face. At his brother's wedding reception, some local boys try to pick up some girls so Hughes and his brother take off to try to beat the #$%$ out of them.

Start to see a familiar pattern here?

Other unflattering aspects to Hughes are self-revealed. For example, Hughes treats Tim Sylvia like dirt when the latter arrives at the Miletich Fighting Systems gym in Bettendorf, IA. Even when Sylvia reaches out to Hughes and tries to mend fences, Hughes blows him off. Later, though, when Hughes is committed to a publicity appearance on the very day his wife is having a C-section, who does he call to bail his butt out? Tim Sylvia!

One chapter briefly covers Hughes' religious conversion to Christianity while on a mission at a Mexican orphanage. Later, in the second fight against Penn, Hughes calls on strength from Christ during the fight and comes back to win (ironically, catching and pounding Penn in a hold known as "the crucifix," a bit of irony that I would not have otherwise noticed).

The autobiography is still going to be an interesting read for MMA fans. Hughes' ascension roughly paralleled the rise of MMA and the UFC from that of a fringe sport to a multi-million dollar mainstream athletic event that is covered by the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated. The inside perspectives from the Frank Trigg battles, the Royce Gracie "fight," B.J. Penn 1.0 and 2.0 and the first two fights against George St. Pierre are interesting.

"Made in America" comes out as Hughes - now well into his 30's - is clearly in the twilight of his MMA career. He said as much on the last series of TUF when he mused aloud about having only a few more fights left. He was totally dominated by GSP and tapped out in their third fight in late December 2007. One can only hope that we will still see Hughes vs. Matt Serra before retirement looms, as there is genuine bad blood between the two.

Despite his waning skills and the rise of other fighters at 170 who clearly eclipse Hughes, he has rightly earned his place in the pantheon of UFC and MMA greats.

No one will mistake Matt Hughes for Ernest Hemmingway. (On the other hand, I doubt that Hemingway was any good at a flying rear naked choke, a la the kind Hughes whipped on Frank Trigg.) I confess to being a big Matt Hughes fan. This book tells you more about the guy, warts and all. It is not a work of great literature and doesn't aspire to be. For the MMA fan and enthusiast, it is a quick and still entertaining read.