UFC champ Matt Hughes, recovering from crash, appears at Scottrade

Walking quickly but with an apparently stiff leg, Hillsboro native Matt Hughes appeared at Sunday’s UFC event at Scottrade Center to cheers from the crowd and accolades from UFC president Dana White.

It was the mixed martial arts champion’s first public appearance since his truck was hit by a train in June.

Hughes was seriously injured June 16 when a train hit his truck near Raymond. He apparently drove onto the tracks on Beelers Trail in Montgomery County, and a train hit the truck’s passenger side. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, along with other injuries.

Hughes hasn’t had a fight since 2011 and announced his retirement in 2013, according to ESPN, but he publicly said he was considering a comeback fight last year.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 3:14 PM with the headline "UFC champ Matt Hughes, recovering from crash, appears at Scottrade."