UFC Hall of Famer & Former Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes Airlifted To HSHS St. John’s Hospital After Morning Accident With Train

RAYMOND/SPRINGFIELD (Heartland Newsfeed) — A UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Welterweight Champion was airlifted to HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield following an accident that involved his vehicle’s collision with a train Friday morning near Raymond.

According to a press release from the Illinois State Police, 43-year-old Matt Hughes of Hillsboro drove his pickup truck eastbound on Beelers Trail across a railroad grade “directly in front of a train” and was struck on the passenger side of the truck around 10:45 AM.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department officer Rick Robbins confirmed through his office was one of several agencies called to the scene of the accident. The Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating the crash.

Catie Sheehan, a representative for St. John’s Hospital, noted in their press release that the regional trauma team “stabilized him and continues to help him in his recovery.”

UFC President Dana White confirmed that he had been in contact with Hughes’ family, confirming head trauma as a result of the accident.

Our thoughts are with Matt Hughes and his family. pic.twitter.com/TF6BaHSa85

— UFC (@ufc) June 16, 2017

Hughes, who retired from the UFC in 2013 with a 45-9 record, held UFC’s Welterweight Championship on several occasions between 2001 and 2006 and is recognized as one of the greatest fighters in his weight class of all time. Hughes has not fought since 2011, but hinted at a possible comeback fight earlier this year.

Hughes’ family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time and keep Matt and his family in your thoughts in prayers.

No additional updates are available at this time.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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