According to TMZ Sports, UFC Hall of Famer and former Welterweight champion Matt Hughes, 45, has received a restraining order mandating that he stay at least 500 feet away from his wife. The restraining order comes after Hughes’ wife alleged the former fighter has been physically abusing her since beginning in 2017.
TMZ cited court documents when describing a number of alleged incidents of family violence involving Hughes. The outlet claimed the alleged abuse began occurring while Hughes was recovering from brain injuries he suffered in a train-and-car collision in rural Illinois on June 16th, 2017.
The first allegation against Hughes relates to an incident his wife claimed occurred in either September or October 2017. In court documents she alleged that’s when Hughes attacked her after she refused to give him his truck keys.
During that alleged incident Hughes is accused of choking his wife, asking for the code to the family’s gun vault, and smashing his wife’s head into a shower wall when she refused to divulge the information.
Hughes’ wife also alleged that on July 21st, 2018 Hughes told her, “I’m going to f—king shoot you.” She alleged that this was because she had taken his phone away after she suspected he was messaging other women.
The next attack alleged by Hughes’ wife is dated December 12th, 2018. It’s then, she claimed, Hughes hit her in front of their son, daughter, and her step-father after she accused him of texting other women.
The restraining order was filed on December 13th, 2018.
Mark Hughes, Hughes’ twin brother, was also granted a restraining order against Hughes. His restraining order detailed an incident in which Hughes is alleged to have gotten angry at seeing Mark Hughes’ 15-year-old son driving a tractor. Hughes is alleged to have grabbed and shaken the teen while yelling that the tractor belonged to him.
A week after this confrontation Hughes is also alleged to have poured gasoline on and around the tractor in an attempt to destroy the vehicle. Mark Hughes filed his restraining order on October 1st, 2018.
Hughes professional fighting career spanned over a decade between 1998 and 2011 and included more than 50 professional bouts. His UFC debut occurred in 2000 and he was crowned welterweight champion after defeating Carlos Newton in 2001.
Hughes defended his title five times before being defeated by B.J. Penn in 2004. He won the title back that same year after beating Georges St-Pierre. He would eventually lose the belt to St-Pierre in 2006.
He inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame in 2010 and officially retired from the sport in 2013.
After a moving train struck the passenger side of his truck in 2017 Hughes suffered brain and spinal cord injuries. On January 14th, 2018 Hughes attended UFC Fight Night: St. Louis and was honoured with a video tribute.
In September 2018 the UFC released a documentary detailing Hughes’ recovery, titled ‘Country Boy Can Survive.’
The UFC did not return a request for comment regarding this story.
Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:
USA – The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Canada – DAWN-RAFH Canada
UK and Ireland – Women’s Aid: 0808-2000-247
Rest of the World – HotPeachPages
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