Former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes has been retired since a loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 135 in September of 2011.
Even though he's not competed for over five years, the former champion admits that he never wanted to retire in the first place.
?I would love to come back,? Hughes said on The MMA Hour. ?I didn?t want to retire in the first place.?
Hughes is no longer a part of the UFC in any capacity, as he was let go by the promotion after it was taken over by WME-IMG.
The former welterweight champion did end his career on a two fight losing streak, but he feels that it could have gone differently under other circumstances
?I think it?s just the fact that I lost,? Hughes said. ?I just dislike getting, you know, Koscheck was my last loss, and BJ was my loss before that, and I fully believe that if those fights went all 15 minutes, I would have got my hand raised. I really do. But I got hit in the wrong spot and I didn?t make it out of the first round both times. I still think I?m very competitive, I think I could be, I haven?t trained real hard in the past couple years, but that?s the problem that keeps me thinking I would have a chance of going in there.?
Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said during the Bellator 179 media conference call that he would be interested in speaking with Hughes about fighting for the promotion.