Okay, okay, we all have heard of Matt Hughes, the UFC Champion, Extreme Challenge Champion, Super Brawl Champion, WEF Champion, collegiate wrestling champion, the list goes on and on. What is the worst thing that can happen with Matt Hughes? Well, stepping into the ring with Matt. What's the second worst thing that could happen? There is another, stronger Matt Hughes. Well, guess what? There is, only he is Matt's twin brother Mark. When I first interviewed Matt Hughes (in the November issue of FCF), he mentioned that he had a twin brother and that his brother was just as competitive as he was. I have a twin brother and now I feel like we got the raw end of a deal because neither, my brother or I are even close to being built like the Hughes brothers. I guess we will just have to stick to writing. Well, Mark just had his first taste of NHB at the Extreme Trials in the 190lbs and under, 4-man tournament. And from all accounts, it looks like both the Hughes brothers share the "pick up and slam" chromosome. Two opponents, two victories. Hughes ended his first match by raining down punches and his second with a submission by way of guillotine. I thought that I better catch up with Mark Hughes before he gets too famous to talk to me (just kidding of course, both Hughes boys are some of the nicest guys that I have met). I called Mark on May 11, 2000 to learn more about him.

FCF: I interviewed your brother Matt about six months ago and he mentioned that he had a twin brother. I said that so did I, but we don't look anything like you guys. He also mentioned that you were a wrestler and the both of you were very competitive. Please tell us about your background?
Mark Hughes: Matt was more of a technician and I was more of a brawler. That's just the type of guy I was. I just did things the hard way basically. Matt was always more of a technique guy. I just went in and tried to throw you around. That's basically it. I guess.

FCF: When did you start wrestling?
MH: Freshman in high school.

FCF: Did you also wrestle in college too?
MH: Oh yeah!

FCF: Did you win any titles?
MH: I got 5th in the nation in Ju-Co.

FCF: What's Ju-Co?
MH: It's Junior college. They just call it Ju-Co.

FCF: Any other formal training?
MH: That's it.

FCF: Have you been training with Matt since he started fighting?
MH: Just whenever he came home. When he came home we'd get a chance to roll around. There was a couple guys here in Hillsborough that were interested and we rolled around. I have been up to Pat's [Miletich] a couple times, but there's so much to learn up there, you know.

FCF: After your brother has had so much success in NHB, why haven't we seen your entrance sooner?
MH: Ahhh, I don't know. I really don't know. I guess my wife a little bit.

FCF: She doesn't want you fighting?
MH: Not really. [As Mark turns away from the phone and asks his wife] You're not thrilled with that are you honey? Nope, she shook her head no. [laughs]

FCF: What finally kicked off you fighting?
MH: Well, Monte was putting on a show in Springfield for Matt and I. He puts one on for people in their hometown, you know? And so, I thought that I kind of gotta do this. So I went up there, it was in Iowa, and when we went up there, we didn't know there was a nationals [national championships] or a chance to go to Hawaii if I won and all that. I just went up there to get a little bit of experience and roll around with Pat. I won and we didn't know that was going on. We just thought that it was an amateur tournament.

FCF: Did both of you start training for NHB at the same time?
MH: No, after Lincoln Junior College, Matt went on to Eastern and I came back to the farm. And I think maybe his second or third year of training at Charleston, he started training in this. And I just kind of moseyed into it a couple years after he did.

FCF: How long have you been training?
MH: I would say three years, off and on.

FCF: Did you specifically train for NHB?
MH: Just to roll around with Matt basically, in the beginning.

FCF: How often do you get to train with Matt?
MH: I would say at least every two or three weeks. But here lately, it's been all the time.

FCF: Was it because of your fight?
MH: That and he just got out of school so he's been down here a lot.

FCF: What kind of training do you do with Matt?
MH: [laughs] Just try and choke each other out. That's about it.

FCF: How often do you get to train with Pat [Miletich]?
MH: Sheesh, that's once every three or four months. I just trip up there with him.

FCF: What's it like, from your perspective, training with Pat [Miletich] and Matt?
MH: Pat just knows so much. He's got so much knowledge. Matt knows a lot and whatever he knows he will come and show me. There is a difference.

FCF: You seemed to have a very similar style to Matt's, are you planning on taking Matt's winning formula and applying it to yourself, especially because you share basically the same attributes? Or do you see your style as different from his?
MH: I would say we're about the same. He's trying to get a little technical and I would like to get a little technical. I just don't want to stay a brawler.

FCF: How much heavier are you than Matt?
MH: How much heavier? Well, the only reason why I'm heavier than Matt is because that he is trying to cut down. Usually we're about the same, or he's actually a little bit more than me.

FCF: Really? But you entered in a heavier weight class than Matt usually does.
MH: Yeah, but that's just because Pat [Miletich] had three guys at that weight. I didn't want to go up there and fight those guys. And there was nobody at that weight, so that's what I entered at.

FCF: So at what weight do you walk around at?
MH: About 180 to 185.

FCF: Are you going to let Matt fighting in the under 170lbs class and you take the weight class above that?
MH: We haven't talked about that at all. I guess I would be a lightweight. I don't plan on staying up there if I plan on getting into this.

FCF: Matt usually fights at around 170lbs, but you fought in the under 190lbs division. What weight do you want to fight at?
MH: I guess about the same as Matt. [laughs] I don't know.

FCF: I guess because of the wrestling, you guys are used to cutting weight?
MH: Yeah, but that doesn't mean we like it. [laughs]

FCF: You and I have a lot in common. Both of us are about 15lbs or so heavier than our brothers. He's more of the technician and I'm more of the brawler. Recently Matt said that you are stronger, but he's the better wrestler. Is this true? I love starting something between brothers. [laughs]
MH: I don't know if I'm stronger than him or not. He's definitely the better technician. Matt is definitely a better wrestler. He went on to Eastern and he was better than me back in junior college.

FCF: My brother and I had an unwritten rule of fighting. We would fight at least three times a day when we were younger over any reason that we could find. How was your relationship with your brother growing up?
MH: When we were in high school, we didn't like each other. [laughing] It's not like now, I wish it was, we would have had a lot of fun in high school. Actually whenever we would go to high school, the guy who drove was the loser because he is going to get hit a couple of times. [laughs] That is the honest to God truth.

FCF: [laughs] Is that because he had to keep his hands on the wheel?
MH: Hey, you got to drive and you got to…you ask Matt about that, he'll laugh.

FCF: Were you guys always like that?
MH: I guess, when he went up to Eastern, that's when things started changing. We started to get along.

FCF: And now the question everyone wants to know. Are you Matt's evil twin brother or is Matt your evil twin brother?
MH: [laughs] I really don't know. I guess that I would have to say that I was the evil one, the black sheep of the family.

FCF: Matt has fought in just about every organization there is. What direction are you heading in?
MH: I don't really know. I'm kind of going with the flow and seeing where it leads me, you know?

FCF: Are there any fighters you would like to face in the future?
MH: Yeah, I guess I would like to go against Dennis Hallman, the guy who beat Matt. If I had to fight someone, I guess.

FCF: Is that just to test yourself? Or is it to revenge Matt's loss?
MH: I think Matt and him, kind of buddied up. And he doesn't want to fight him. Matt should have beat him. I don't know, that's what I think.

FCF: Is he just one guy that gives you a reason to compete against him?
MH: Yeah, that's it.

FCF: Do you have any other fights scheduled?
MH: No, just that fight in November in Iowa and just up here in Springfield. Extreme Challenge 32 and I guess it's the nationals. I don't even know what it's called.

FCF: In Extreme Challenge 32, are you fighting in another tournament?
MH: It's just going to be a single fight.

FCF: Do you know who your opponent is yet?
MH: I think it's going to be Travis Fulton's brother. The last I knew.

FCF: Have you been doing any special training for this match?
MH: No, just rolling around with Matt.

FCF: I asked Matt if he studies fighters and he just said that he asks Jeremy [Horn] and Pat [Miletich] what to watch out for and that's good enough for him. Is that the same with you?
MH: [laughs] Yeah, yeah.

FCF: Is that because you guys are confident in your abilities or you don't think that your opponents will present a problem?
MH: No, it's just kind of how we are. It's kind of how we were in wrestling.

FCF: What can we expect in the future from Mark Hughes?
MH: [laughs] I don't know. I guess when Matt's the UFC champ that I'll be number two.

FCF: Thank you and I look forward to seeing you and your brother in NHB for a long time.
MH: Not a problem. That sounds good.