Serra: Hughes is a &#$(!

Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes has been in the works for 13 months. The two finally collide May 23 in Las Vegas, and if you think the rivalry has lost some spark, think again.

Serra is a reporter's dream. He'll come right at you and say whatever's on his mind without any regard of the censors. He's also one of the more fun and friendly personalities you'd ever meet. But he'll have to take his game up at least five levels by May. Serra hasn't fought since last April and even though Hughes is past his prime, he's an MMA legend and has the same bad intentions going into UFC 98. Whether Hughes calls it a career after this fight, which he's hinted, the last thing he wants is a loss to Serra, period.

Then again, Serra is hell-bent to not see Hughes' hand raised in victory.

"Do you think he'd be a gracious winner?" Serra said. "I can't have that. I cannot – cannot – lose to this guy, and I know that."

Time heals all wounds?

It almost always does. In Matt Serra's case nothing can be further from the truth.

After more than 21 months of talking smack and healing from injuries — and 13 months since his last fight — Matt Serra is finally getting his shot at Matt Hughes May 23 at UFC 98 in Las Vegas. I finally caught up with Serra Friday night. His hatred for his former friend turned archrival hasn't waned during his time off. It's escalated.

“Let me go on the record. I can’t stand him. I don’t like him. There’s a lot of pride on the line here," Serra said.

He was only getting warmed up. Not mixing words, he didn't back down from what he told me last September, that he wanted to retire Hughes. Frankly speaking, Serra's goal is to "decapitate" him.

There will be much more on this next week on MMAJunkie.com. If you thought Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva hated each other, whoa boy.