A week ago, Hughes was shown going out for sushi with a long-time friend.
This week, Hughes was on the mat, doing "light grappling" with that same friend, Tony Zucca.
Matt Hughes"I leave for only five days and come back to his ass wanting (and able) to roll," Zucca wrote on Instagram. "Unbelievable! Spare me the grappling lessons. The only things that are important: firing muscles that haven't been used in a long time...and having fun! So awesome to see that smile and hear that laugh again. If I posted a video from day one and compared it to today...and you still didn't believe in miracles...well, there's nothing that's ever going to change your mind."
Former rival Frank Trigg saw the video… and was blown away.
"I am so happy that he made it through," Trigg told MMAJunkie Radio. "And that his wife still has a husband. His twin brother still has a brother. His son still has a dad. It is huge. You can't say enough about this guy. And he's going to pull it together. Whether you believe in a higher power or not -- he always has.
"He's always been that guy who always leans on Jesus Christ, always leans on God. Whatever his belief system is, it worked for him, because he survived this (expletive). If I was in that thing, I would have been dead. One hundred percent, I would not have survived that thing. And he made it through."
Matt Hughes has come a long ways since his near-fatal accident.
On June 16, Hughes was driving his pickup on a country road in central Illinois, not far from his hometown of Hillsboro, when the truck was struck by a train on the passenger side. The crossing had only a warning sign; it did not have flashing lights or gates.
The critically-injured Hughes was airlifted to a trauma hospital in Springfield, the Illinois state capital. He reportedly suffered severe head injuries.
Hughes held the UFC's welterweight championship at various points between 2001 and 2006. He is recognized as one of the greatest 170-pound fighters of all time, according to ESPN. Hughes launched his pro mixed martial arts career in 1998, and had not fought since 2011. He compiled a 45-9 record in MMA, and was welcomed into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010.
Prior to entering MMA competition, Matt Hughes was an accomplished wrestler. He was a two-time Illinois Class A state champion at 145 pounds for Hillsboro High School in 1991 and 1992.
Hughes then started his college career at Southwestern Illinois College. After the school eliminated its wrestling program, Hughes transferred to Lincoln College (Illinois), where he placed third at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Wrestling Championships. After graduating from Lincoln, Hughes continued wrestling at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing eighth in 1996 and fifth in 1997 at 158 pounds.
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