Boomer Tale: Hall of Fame

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Boomer

“I’m a big believer in starting with high standards and raising them. We make progress only when we push ourselves to the highest level. If we don’t progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude." - Dan Gable


Hello my forum family this is BoomTown scribing out another tale from a fantastic weekend with the champ. As you all know, matt got inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this weekend. A crown on an already royal career and a nod at the country sage from the powers that be who turned a chaotic, back ally subculture into a structured, organized sport that has globalize and captured the heart of the 18-35 male demographic.

That quote from Dan Gable (one of the most prolific wrestlers in modern times) I believe embodies the essence of matt's success' in life. Starting with high standards and raising them. No matter what, be it training, fighting, family, friends … from what I've seen he has the highest standards and presses himself and others around him to surpass the definition of whatever defines success in those areas.

We've seen and been exposed to his training camps over the years, we all love his fighting, many of us have met him and know that the standards of excellence he sets around him is inspirational and I was so honored to be with him this weekend as the UFC honored him in this landmark award. So, onto the tale …

I take off work Friday with a simple call … “I'm not coming in.”
I'm in the process of changing jobs and this coming week is my last week there, so no one really cared. That was nice. They tried to send me back to Afghan in July for another 6 months and with matt fighting AUG 7th that just would not do. I've taken a lower position within the government which I've been told is career suicide, but ask me sometime if that bothers me and my yawn should tell you the truth.

I meet up with matt at the airport and our own Silverback is with him!! I had met Silver once at a local fight in Springfield, but never really got to sit and talk with him much and this trip I got to know him a bunch better. He is a great guy .. lots of good life stories and has a great sense of humor.

So the three of us take a cab over to the MGM, check into the room, wait for Matt's bro in law Tommy to get there and we head out for some food. After talking with matt I realize that they are giving the Hall of Fame induction tonight (Friday) vs Saturday at the event …. thats new. So we head back up to the room and just lay around until about 430. We get all dressed up and (dime dropping time) all the clothes you saw on matts back during the ceremony were borrowed. The UFC told him no suites or anything like that, so matt went dress casual and folks that had worked with him for years in the UFC were walking right passed him look for him. He got many “you polish up nicely” type remarks but whats so important in life that you can't wear overalls too is my motto.

Anyway, as we were getting ready to head over to the Fan Expo where the ceremony would be, Ruthless Robbie Lawler and Matt Pena show up at the door. They were in town for something else and caught wind that matt was getting inducted so they hung around a few extra days to be next to matt as the mma community honored him for all his contributions to the sport.

We march down and get a ride to the Mandalay Bay and are ushered off into the “green” room to await the presentation. matt of course is in his element around folks he has worked with in the UFC over the past 10+ years. Everyone knows him, loves him and seeks him out whenever there is rumor he is around. We all wait back until its show time and then march out to see matt get his award. I was able to get some pics, not nate good … but its what I got.

I hope all of you saw the ceremony and the wonderful things Dana had to say about him. Things like he is a good friend and someone he never had to worry about stabbing him or the UFC in the back over a higher pay check when everyone was gunning after the UFC. High standards aren't always easy, and most times its not the easy road … but time has a way of making them pay off more so in the end. Tonight was one of those paydays. You know matt probably got asked 4 or 5 times just in the short time were where there what he thought of getting this and he would get that half cocked smile, give a shoulder shrug and was grateful for the recognition but it was just another day for him. Overall he loved the competition of mma, he loved how it brought all his friends together for some good times, he is appreciative for how this sport has provided for his family. I don't know if this is true or not, but the sense I got was matt was almost a little amused that people were making such a fuss over him. He simply set personal standards …. drove for excellence and destroyed most anyone they put in front of him. Whats the big deal??? haha .. I could be off on that, but that was just my take.

Jens Pulver met matt in the back after the ceremony and we got some pictures in the green room before heading back up to the room. That night we went out and had a Sushi dinner .. for the second time in my life (the first being with matt in New York) and really wanted to pay for the meal. It was matt's night, he is a great friend and it was just the right thing to do. Of course matt wouldn't let me … which hurt a little until I saw the bill. It was the most expensive meal I've ever taken part of and we weren't even drinking. I still would have liked to pay for it ….. buuutttttt the sting of not paying wasn't so bad. Haha .. I ended up sneaking the bill away at Lucile's BBQ the next night …. but that whole meal probably cost the tip amount on the Sushi place.

We head off to the pub that night for a few drinks and some stories. We met up with Demarques Johnson and Sean again from Horn's gym (they were with us in Abu Dhabi) and had a pretty good time. I had to slow down on the Jack and Cokes and shots of Jack. I wanted to remember this night. After that matt went to play some poker and he let me tag along. I'm no card player … I like to talk too much and in poker that just isn;t the time for it. I enjoyed watching matt though and talked with random folks as the opportunity would present itself. We got in around 430 am and the others went to bed, but I just couldn't get to sleep .. had a bad run of insomnia this past week.

The day of the fight matt, Silverback, Tommy and me head down to the fan expo. EVERY place matt went turned into an instant frenzy. We stopped at all of matt's sponsors booths, the OMR fellas gave us some pretty rock'n shirts and hoodies. I loved matt getting this attention. I love to see folks eyes get big as half dollars when they saw him, pushing for just a hand shake or hello .. shoving sharpies in his face to sign this, sign that. Let the public love on matt a bit I say … out of all the celebrities out there in the world, matt hughes would be the one I pointed my kids to. I tried to help bring a little order to some of the chaos, but you really just had to ride it out. I think Silver pushed over a crippled person when we where moving through the crowd at warp speed. It could have been because he had my contacts in.

That night we went to the fights and matt once again gave me an unbelievable experience. I loved sitting cage side, but most of all I loved being there with friends. Tommy is a great guy who I enjoyed talking with quite a few times this trip, Silverback was like a kid in a candy store taking pictures as Forest Griffin, Tito, Randy, Dana and a host of other big name personalities flocked around us at the event. And of course matt .. moving around the cage .. saying high to old friends, enjoying the atmosphere of the industry he helped establish ….

I just … am once again at a loss for words. I know to matt this wasn't a big deal … but nothing on this planet would have kept me away. He as an athlete and entertainer kept me company on some of the hardest tours of my life in Iraq and Afghanistan and he defined what it takes to be a champion in the UFC. No one is more deserving of this Hall of Fame award. A token of his blood ,sweat and tears over the past decade as he defined the welterweight division in the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world.

Bravo matt .. we are very proud of you and to be your fans.

If that's a "loss for words"....

Just teasing!!! I know what you meant. Great tale, Boomer! And I did read it.

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

I skimmed. I'm fine

Prove it! What did he say?

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

If that's a "loss for words"....

Just teasing!!! I know what you meant. Great tale, Boomer! And I did read it.

Let me clarify .... loss for words in the expression of my own emotional state produced by the situation and circumstances, not so much in the dictation of events that require less of an emotional attachment .... better???

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Let me clarify .... loss for words in the expression of my own emotional state produced by the situation and circumstances, not so much in the dictation of events that require less of an emotional attachment .... better???

Could you do "cliff notes" for Michelle next time?

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

Could you do "cliff notes" for Michelle next time?

Could Picasso use one color and make a master piece?






Bonnie please tell me you are going to make it to Cali Aug 7th

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Could Picasso use one color and make a master piece?

I'm not a Picasso fan. His paintings look schizophrenic to me. You on the other hand paint beautiful pictures. What you do with words....now that's a master piece!

Originally Posted by Boomer

Bonnie please tell me you are going to make it to Cali Aug 7th

I'll have to see, Boom.

[TexasRN]

Awesome blog! I love me a BoomerTale..... I'm really glad you and Silverback got to go. It's always fun for me to live vicariously through my friends so ya'll keep doing fun things and sharing them.



~Amy

Boomer, again you bring us a tell like no other. When Matt ask me to go I was like you, nothing in this world was going to stop me from being there. And again you are correct in saying, this guy is someone that I want my son's to know, to learn from and to be like, if they turn out to be half the person that Matt and Mark are then yes that will be a very good thing. This weekend was something that I will not only remember and cherish as one of the best times that I have ever had in my life, I not only got to be beside a icon in something that my boys and I have enjoyed watching,(UFC) for many years together, and thinking what it would be like to sit ringside, rubbing elbow's with the fighters, hanging out with them, something I always thought was only a dream, a fantasy, it has ran thru my mind so many times, but this weekend it came true, because a man that not only I , but millions of people have watched fight so many times included me in every aspect of him being bestowed the highest honor of the UFC, the hall of fame, and Boomer you know it like I do, it would have been easy for him to just worry about himself this weekend, but what did he worry about, what was important to him, the reason I say this is Boomer knows its true, what mattered to Matt, was is Tommy, Boomer, Matt Pena, Robbie, and yes, me, was we OK. When we was rushing thru the fan Expo,(Boomer you lie, that person wasn't crippled till after I pushed them over)Matt's only worry was, are we getting took care of, are we still behind him, he was always looking back to see if we was all OK. The One More Round booth, Matt wanted his people to be took care of because we was going to represent them at the fights that night, we came first, I have to thank the people at One More Round, they was great, and everyone that reads this, please, support OMR, they are great and have the best stuff around.
Then it was on to the fights that night, well we had to do dinner, and let me tell you that was one great meal, and again Boomer thanks because he pulled a fast one and took care of the check, pretty slick my friend, then we get to the fights, again Matt was concerned about our seats, he wasn't sure where they was, so he had people making sure they was good seats, and let me tell you, and Boomer can tell you, we had the best seats in the house, no doubt about it. And yes I was like a kid in a candy store, I could go on all night but it is getting late and I have to help my other Hall of Fame Buddy in the morning get stuff done on the farm. One more thing before I end this and go to bed, Robbie Lawlar, I am convinced that one day that that honor will be bestowed on you to my friend, thanks for letting me hang with you this weekend too, Matt Pena, what can I say about this man, what he brings to his fighters, puts them on a level that is 2 steps above the rest, Mr. Pena job well done, and I am honored to consider you a friend. Boomer, I have yet to find the right words for you my friend, someday I hope too, and one I do, well just let me say, Thank you, not just from me, but from all of us, they broke the mold when they made you Buddy.Matt Hughes, you have gave me something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and another story, that I will tell again and agian.

[Llamafighter]

Awesome Tale Boomer! Boom and Silver, thanks for putting up with my occasional texts during the weekend. Glad you had a great time and thanks for letting us all experience it thru another fantastic tale, buddy!
Mac you have to go on one of these!

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Silverback

Boomer, again you bring us a tell like no other. When Matt ask me to go I was like you, nothing in this world was going to stop me from being there. And again you are correct in saying, this guy is someone that I want my son's to know, to learn from and to be like, if they turn out to be half the person that Matt and Mark are then yes that will be a very good thing. This weekend was something that I will not only remember and cherish as one of the best times that I have ever had in my life, I not only got to be beside a icon in something that my boys and I have enjoyed watching,(UFC) for many years together, and thinking what it would be like to sit ringside, rubbing elbow's with the fighters, hanging out with them, something I always thought was only a dream, a fantasy, it has ran thru my mind so many times, but this weekend it came true, because a man that not only I , but millions of people have watched fight so many times included me in every aspect of him being bestowed the highest honor of the UFC, the hall of fame, and Boomer you know it like I do, it would have been easy for him to just worry about himself this weekend, but what did he worry about, what was important to him, the reason I say this is Boomer knows its true, what mattered to Matt, was is Tommy, Boomer, Matt Pena, Robbie, and yes, me, was we OK. When we was rushing thru the fan Expo,(Boomer you lie, that person wasn't crippled till after I pushed them over)Matt's only worry was, are we getting took care of, are we still behind him, he was always looking back to see if we was all OK. The One More Round booth, Matt wanted his people to be took care of because we was going to represent them at the fights that night, we came first, I have to thank the people at One More Round, they was great, and everyone that reads this, please, support OMR, they are great and have the best stuff around.
Then it was on to the fights that night, well we had to do dinner, and let me tell you that was one great meal, and again Boomer thanks because he pulled a fast one and took care of the check, pretty slick my friend, then we get to the fights, again Matt was concerned about our seats, he wasn't sure where they was, so he had people making sure they was good seats, and let me tell you, and Boomer can tell you, we had the best seats in the house, no doubt about it. And yes I was like a kid in a candy store, I could go on all night but it is getting late and I have to help my other Hall of Fame Buddy in the morning get stuff done on the farm. One more thing before I end this and go to bed, Robbie Lawlar, I am convinced that one day that that honor will be bestowed on you to my friend, thanks for letting me hang with you this weekend too, Matt Pena, what can I say about this man, what he brings to his fighters, puts them on a level that is 2 steps above the rest, Mr. Pena job well done, and I am honored to consider you a friend. Boomer, I have yet to find the right words for you my friend, someday I hope too, and one I do, well just let me say, Thank you, not just from me, but from all of us, they broke the mold when they made you Buddy.Matt Hughes, you have gave me something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and another story, that I will tell again and agian.

That's wonderful, Danny. I'm so happy you got to be there when Matt was inducted. What a moment that must have been. I hope your sons got to record the fights (Amy said she saw you and Boom on tv sitting behind Matt). From the sounds of it, this whole trip was the motherload!

Very cool. Matt did look pretty sharp in the "business casual" attire.