Hughes seeks edge over Penn

Though the days of one-night tournaments in the Ultimate Fighting Championship are way in the past, Matt Hughes thinks he can pick up three wins in one trip to the cage Saturday night.

Hughes will fight BJ Penn for the third time in the co-main event of UFC 123 in Auburn Hills, Mich. With each fighter holding a victory over the other, Hughes thinks the winner of this fight can stake a claim as the winner of the series.

“The way I feel is if I were to lose this fight with BJ, it’s like losing three fights. But if I win, it’s like winning three fights,” he said. “It’s the final of the trilogy.”

The 37-year-old two-time former champion is taking the fight just three months after he followed up a first-round submission of Ricardo Almeida by saying he wanted to take some time off from fighting.

“I was definitely going to take a break. I’d spent basically the whole year fighting, away from my family, so I wanted to spend some family time. Of course, fall is hunting time, so I was wanting to hunt as well,” he said. “But when (the UFC) comes with the name BJ, I kind of felt like I needed to take the fight. BJ and I are 1-1 and we get to see who can win this last match. It’s a big fight for me.”

Hughes, who is already in the UFC Hall of Fame and owns the organization record for fights won (18), acknowledged that he would jump at the chance to fight for the title again.

After a stretch in which he lost three of four fights that were either for the title or a title shot, Hughes said one key factor in his current three-fight winning streak has been the lack of pressure he has felt being just outside of the elite group in the welterweight division.

Still, he might be fighting for more than just his legacy.

“One more paycheck this year will really make my wife pretty happy and get her off my back for spending some money,” he joked.

The matchup of former champions is one of two such bouts on the card. In the main event, former lightweight titleholders Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson square off. Each is coming off a loss and needs a victory to remain in the mix.

Also, Joe Lauzon fights George Sotiropoulos, and Phil Davis takes on Tim Boetsch.

■ FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS — The UFC officially confirmed it will host “Fight for the Troops 2” on Jan. 22 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

The event, which benefits men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces with traumatic brain injuries, will air live on Spike (Cable 29) and feature a lightweight main event between Kenny Florian and Evan Dunham, who trains in Las Vegas.

The first Fight for the Troops, in 2008 near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., raised more than $4 million.

“It’s always a great honor for us to entertain the men and women of the military by bringing them some great fights while raising money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “It’s the least we can do for the people who are defending this country and making so many sacrifices for our freedom, and this is a cause the UFC will always support.”

Mike Swick returns to action on the card, fighting David Mitchell. Swick has lost two fights in a row and has been out since February because illness.

Also, Matt Mitrione meets Tim Hague in a battle of heavyweight strikers, and Melvin Guillard faces Yves Edwards.

U.S. Army and National Guard veteran DeMarques Johnson rounds out the main card against Mike Guymon.

■ SHOGUN RETURNS — A light heavyweight title bout between champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former champion Rashad Evans has been set. Evans defeated Jackson for the No. 1 contender spot in May.

A date for the championship fight has not been as easy to nail down as Rua has been out of action after knee surgery.

It now appears the fight will happen in March, provided Rua’s knee continues to heal properly.

Multiple published reports said the bout would take place in Abu Dhabi as part of the UFC’s yet-to-be-announced return to the United Arab Emirates.

But a source close to the organization told the Review-Journal late Monday that the fight would “probably” happen in New Jersey.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.