Matt Hughes Trip by: Mike Beschta and Patrick Flanigan

Mixed Martial Arts training is a hobby of both Patrick Flanigan and I.  We train for exercise, and also because it is a great stress reliever.  This past week Pat and I had the opportunity to take a trip to visit Matt Hughes at his home, and at his new gym called the H.I.T. Squad.  Matt is the 9-time, UFC Welterweight Champion and he is without question one of the greatest and most successful mixed martial arts fighters of all time.  We were excited to learn from one of the all-time greats in the sport.  That is what we expected out of the trip, however, it ended up being much more than that.

As we arrived at the Hughes farm, we were greeted by Matt on his 4 wheeler with his almost two year old daughter Hannah riding in front of him.  We could tell right away she was Daddy's little girl as she rode along in the wind without a concern in the world.  A short time later Matt's nephew returned from working in the field, and Matt took us for what he called the "best burger in Hillsboro" at the Park 'N Eat. Whether or not it was the "best burger" is still up for discussion, but it was a good tasting burger.  It also marked the first time where Matt refused to let anyone else break out their wallet to pay, a trend which continued throughout our time there.  When we returned to the farm we were joined by Matt's friend Brian Patton, and his twin brother Mark.  Pat talked with Brian and Mark, as I joined Matt in the field for a little work removing stumps and sticks.  I expected to do a little work while I was there since Pat had previously asked Matt if he had some work for us to do.  Somehow Pat wasn't working in the field with me, but I forgot how that happened.  I think I was setup!  Later in the afternoon Pat and I joined the Hughes brothers, Brian, and Nate (Matt's webmaster) in a cramped ride to the HIT Squad.  As we quickly learned Matt and Mark are quite entertaining, and even though some of the jokes were at our expense it was all in good fun.

When we arrived at the HIT Squad gym, I was impressed by the setup, the cleanliness, and the modern feel of the gym.  Matt introduced us to his guys at the HIT Squad and we jumped into class.  After 20 minutes of the infamous "elbow tag" and a fifteen minute "grinder" match Pat and I got a taste of the intensity at which they train.  We were both exhausted by the time we got to roll with his guys, but I think we both accomplished our goal of not embarrassing ourselves too bad.  After training Matt again took the group out to dinner as his brother Mark proved himself to be a great story teller by sharing hilarious stories of college days. The stories and joking around continued on the ride home from the gym.  That night we settled our stuff in at Heather's, who is Brian's Fiancé, home who unselfishly allowed us to stay there the entire week.  Thanks Heather!!!

Wednesday morning Pat and I were picked up by Matt on his way to the HIT Squad.  I was entertained by Pat and Matt's joking around the entire ride as the jokes turned into good natured bets.  After MUCH debate, they finally decided on a bet.  In order to win a new shotgun from Pat, Matt would have to hit 4 clay targets, hand thrown, with a single shot in each bird.  Pat would have five minutes to take down Mark using a good wrestling takedown in order to win Matt's fight shorts and gloves from his last UFC fight.  They each had a second chance to win their bets.  Matt would have one opportunity to hit one clay target from his hip.  Pat would have to execute a back dive off the zip line into the pond on the Hughes farm, a feat which Matt deemed impossible.  They began calling each other "matt-hughes.com and patrickflanigan.com" as they gave each other a hard time about the bets, perhaps reminding each other jokingly that they were both the best at what they do.  The bets continued throughout the week and were impossible to keep track of.

When we arrived at the gym I joined Matt's boxing coach Matt Pena for class and Pat lifted some weights.  Matt Pena was a really nice guy and a good coach.  He patiently corrected me on the small details and gave me many new tips to improving my boxing.   After class we returned to the farm to set up for Pat's informal show that he was doing for the men's group from Matt, Mark, and Brian's church.  Shortly before the show was to start Pat had Matt take over the shotgun to attempt his bet.  Matt proved to be a pretty good shot when he successfully hit 4 clay targets several times in a row.  As Matt said, "Never bet a Hughes brother for a gun."  Pat then put on an abbreviated show as he entertained and impressed the crowd with his shooting of everything from lettuce, to aspirin, to small explosives.  He also talked Matt into changing his original bet of taking Mark down to a shooting one where he would have to shoot three clay targets individually, from three different shooting mounts all before they hit the ground.  Pat easily won Matt's fight shorts and gloves from his last fight.  After the show, everyone was treated to a great cookout of brats, pork patties, and burgers.  The Hughes brothers definitely proved they can handle a grill with the best of them.  That night we had a bonfire on the farm.  As the crowd thinned out Matt, Mark, Brian, Nate, Pat, and I had an amazing talk about life, our families, and Christianity.  It was an inspiring talk for me as they all shared very personal stories of how they each became a Christian.  I was amazed at how open and honest everyone was having known us for just a short time.  After the bonfire, Pat and I returned to the house where we continued our discussion for several hours.  In addition, we spent hours discussing and looking at a picture titled, "Who Cares".  The picture was cause for numerous discussions throughout the following days.

Thursday morning came quickly as we were invited to Matt's house where he generously sent us home with many souvenirs of shirts, shorts, and fight equipment.  Matt then took us to his old high school in Hillsboro for a little private workout on the wrestling mats.  Matt of course dominated us without having to try too hard. We learned a lot of techniques from him in a short time and it was a great honor to train with him.  It was something we will never forget.  Expecting that he would lose, Pat bet Matt that he couldn't pass his guard in less than a minute with the loser having to buy lunch.  Matt won the bet but it was actually Pat's way of getting Matt to let him pay for something.  That night we went to the HIT Squad for a class and another dinner on Matt.  After dinner Matt, Brian, Nate, Pat, and I had another great discussion about Christianity and where we were at in our relationship with God.  They shared bible verses and we had the opportunity to see their church.  It was another inspiring night.

While we were there we met some of the most genuine, generous, honest, and all-around amazing people Pat and I have met in a long time.  They welcomed and took care of us like we were family.  I knew before the trip that Matt was an amazing fighter and I now know that he is an amazing person as well.  He is committed to his family and to God.  He has worked very hard for his success in life and he deserves all that he has achieved.  We had a great time there and learned that you cannot usually win a bet or an argument with a Hughes brother, but they are some of the best people you could ever hope to meet in life. 

Thanks again to everyone!

Mike Beschta and Patrick Flanigan