Professional Record
11-7-0
SHPhoto pending
Current Elo Rating
1514
True Contender System
Women’s Strawweight Ranking
#29
Pound-for-Pound Ranking
#70
About Sam Hughes
From 0-3 in the UFC to a real career
Sam Hughes had a brutal introduction to the UFC's level. She debuted on just a few days' notice against Tecia Pennington and lost her first three appearances in the promotion, a run that would quickly have ended many fighters' careers.
Fighting style
Hughes did exactly the opposite. Her evolution was built on steady improvement in wrestling, grappling and the ability to sustain high paces. She has never been a spectacular specialist in a single discipline, but she has become an awkward fighter who is very hard to beat over fifteen minutes.
The rebuild
Wins over Elise Reed, Jaqueline Amorim, Stephanie Luciano and Shauna Bannon completely transformed her career, one of the most notable rebuilds among recent strawweight veterans. In March 2026 she lost a decision to Piera Rodríguez.
Tale of the tape
- Height
- 165 cm
- Reach
- 163 cm
- Weight
- 52.6 kg
- Age
- 34 years
- Place of birth
- Davenport, United States
- UFC debut
- December 12, 2020
- Team / gym
- Fortis MMA
Activity
Next fight
No bout announced
Sam Hughes has no next fight confirmed by the UFC yet.
This section updates automatically as soon as one is announced.
Last fight
Sam Hughesvs.Piera Rodríguez
L · Decision · R3
- Event
- UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos
- Date
- March 14, 2026
- Elo change
- -42
Career Statistics
Professional career
11-7-0
Wins · Losses · Draws
18 fights
Wins by method
- KO/TKO
- 1
- Submissions
- 1
- Decisions
- 4
2 Finishes
33.3% of 6 wins
Of these 11 wins, 5 have no method recorded in our history.
In the UFC
6-6-0
Wins · Losses · Draws
12 fights
Wins by method
- KO/TKO
- 1
- Submissions
- 1
- Decisions
- 4
2 Finishes
33.3% of 6 wins
Elo
Current Elo
1,514
Peak Elo
1,556
From peak
-42
StreakNot enough data yet
Biggest Elo gain
Achievements and career
- Best recorded streak: 3 straight wins
Elo History
12 recorded UFC fights
UFC Start
1500
Current
1514
Peak Elo
1556
Total
+14
UFC Fight History
| Date | Result | Opponent | Method | Elo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2026 | L | Piera Rodríguez | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1514 | Change-42 |
| Sep 06, 2025 | W | Shauna Bannon | Submission · R2 · 1:58 | Elo1556 | Change+57 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | W | Stephanie Luciano | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1499 | Change+26 |
| Aug 03, 2024 | W | Victoria Dudakova | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1473 | Change+26 |
| Feb 24, 2024 | L | Yazmin Jauregui | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1447 | Change-41 |
| Apr 08, 2023 | W | Jaqueline Amorim | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1489 | Change+34 |
| Oct 15, 2022 | L | Piera Rodríguez | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1455 | Change-28 |
| May 21, 2022 | W | Elise Reed | KO/TKO · R3 · 3:52 | Elo1483 | Change+57 |
| Apr 16, 2022 | W | Istela Nunes | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1426 | Change+24 |
| Nov 20, 2021 | L | Luana Pinheiro | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1402 | Change-27 |
| May 01, 2021 | L | Loma Lookboonmee | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1429 | Change-27 |
| Dec 12, 2020 | L | Tecia Pennington | KO/TKO · R1 · 5:00 | Elo1456 | Change-44 |
Competitive Profile
Sam Hughes’s position is calculated by the True Contender MMA Elo system from real results and strength of opposition. The profile updates with the rankings after new fights are processed.