UFC 60: Matt Hughes Stops Royce Gracie
UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie took place on May 27, 2006, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Royce Gracie, the winner of the UFC’s first, second and fourth tournaments, returned to face reigning welterweight champion Matt Hughes. Their meeting was a non-title contest at a 175-pound catchweight, with eight supporting fights surrounding the generational attraction.
Hughes controls Gracie on the ground
Gracie’s return carried an unusual kind of anticipation. His early tournament victories had helped make Brazilian jiu-jitsu central to the UFC’s identity. Hughes represented a later era, combining wrestling, submission skills and strikes in a sport that had developed formal weight divisions and a much broader pool of experienced athletes.
The contest demonstrated Hughes’ control rather than an extended clash of styles. He established dominant positions on the ground and threatened Gracie’s arm before eventually taking his back. Gracie resisted the submission threat, but Hughes continued attacking with punches until John McCarthy stopped the bout at 4:39 of the opening round.
Hughes won by TKO; he did not win the welterweight championship that night, and Gracie was not challenging for it. The catchweight agreement kept the title outside the contest. The result added an important name to Hughes’ record while leaving Gracie’s pioneering achievements as a separate part of UFC history.
Submissions shape the supporting fights
Mike Swick caught Joe Riggs in a guillotine choke in the first round, continuing the run that had followed his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. Brandon Vera also won with a guillotine, submitting Assuerio Silva at heavyweight. Their short finishes made the same submission technique decisive in two different divisions.
Dean Lister’s UFC debut ended with a triangle choke against Alessio Sakara in a light heavyweight bout. Jeremy Horn submitted Chael Sonnen with an armbar in round two. Those results showed that grappling remained central to the evening beyond the heavily promoted Hughes–Gracie encounter.
Sanchez goes the distance, Fisher finds a highlight
Diego Sanchez defeated John Alessio by unanimous decision in the card’s only fight to reach the scorecards. Spencer Fisher produced a flying-knee knockout of Matt Wiman in round two, while Gabriel Gonzaga stopped Fabiano Scherner with punches. Melvin Guillard opened the program with a first-round knockout of Rick Davis.
The supporting card’s range is part of the event’s appeal: a decision victory for Sanchez, several submissions and a striking highlight from Fisher accompanied the main event. UFC 60 was built around a historical matchup, but its actual roster also included fighters establishing their place in the promotion’s newer generation.
Complete UFC 60 results
Matt Hughes defeated Royce Gracie by TKO (punches), round 1, 4:39, in a non-title 175-pound catchweight bout. Dean Lister defeated Alessio Sakara by submission (triangle choke), round 1, 2:20. Diego Sanchez defeated John Alessio by unanimous decision. Brandon Vera defeated Assuerio Silva by submission (guillotine choke), round 1, 2:39. Mike Swick defeated Joe Riggs by submission (guillotine choke), round 1, 2:19.
Jeremy Horn defeated Chael Sonnen by submission (armbar), round 2, 1:17. Spencer Fisher defeated Matt Wiman by KO (flying knee), round 2, 1:43. Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Fabiano Scherner by TKO (punches), round 2, 0:24. Melvin Guillard defeated Rick Davis by KO (punch), round 1, 1:37.
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Article Tags
UFC 60, Matt Hughes, Royce Gracie, Welterweight, MMA History, UFC Results
