Paul Hughes (fighter)

Last updated • 1 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Paul Hughes
Born (1997-03-27) 27 March 1997 (age 27)
Sydney, Australia
Other namesBig News
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Division Featherweight
Lightweight
Reach70 in (178 cm) [1]
Fighting out ofBelfast, Northern Ireland
Team Fight Academy Ireland
Years active2017–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total14
Wins13
By knockout6
By submission3
By decision4
Losses1
By decision1
Amateur record
Total8
Wins6
By submission2
Losses2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Paul Hughes (born 27 March 1997) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division of Professional Fight League (PFL). A professional MMA fighter since 2017, Hughes is a former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion.

Contents

Background

Born on March 27, 1997, in Sydney, Australia, Hughes grew up in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where he initially participated in sports like Gaelic football and hurling before transitioning to MMA. His professional MMA career began in 2017, following a successful amateur career with a 6-2 record and two Clan Wars amateur featherweight championships. [2]

Early Career

Hughes first gained attention in the European MMA scene with Cage Warriors, where he won the interim featherweight title by defeating Morgan Charriere and later unified the division by winning a rematch against Jordan Vucenic. This bout avenged his only career loss, which he suffered in a close split decision to Vucenic in 2020. His performances and Cage Warriors success drew attention from major MMA organizations, and he eventually signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL)

Professional Fighters League (PFL)/ Bellator

Hughes made his debut by defeating Bobby King via unanimous decision at Bellator Champions Series 3 on June 22, 2024, This victory set the stage for a significant challenge against A.J. McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion, at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants on October 19, 2024. [3] He won the fight by split decision. [4]

Hughes is scheduled to compete for the Bellator Lightweight World Championship against Usman Nurmagomedov on January 25, 2025 in the main event of PFL: Road to Dubai - Champions Series. [5]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
14 matches13 wins1 loss
By knockout60
By submission30
By decision41
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win13–1 A. J. McKee Decision (split) PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants October 19, 202435:00 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Win12–1Bobby KingTKO (punches and elbows) Bellator Champions Series 3 June 22, 202424:50 Dublin, Ireland
Win11–1Fabiano SilvaTKO (knee and elbows)Cage Warriors 170April 6, 202414:37 Dublin, IrelandCatchweight (160 lb) bout.
Win10–1Jan QuaeyhaegensKO (punches)Cage Warriors 161October 14, 202312:47 Dublin, IrelandReturn to Lightweight.
Win9–1Jordan VucenicDecision (unanimous)Cage Warriors 145November 4, 202255:00 London, EnglandWon and unified the Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship.
Win8–1Morgan CharrièreDecision (majority)Cage Warriors 128October 1, 202155:00 London, EnglandWon the interim Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship.
Win7–1James HendinDecision (unanimous)Cage Warriors 120March 18, 202135:00 London, England
Loss6–1Jordan VucenicDecision (split)Cage Warriors 119December 12, 202035:00 London, England
Win6–0Aidan StephenSubmission (rear-naked choke)Cage Warriors 116August 11, 202034:21 Manchester, EnglandReturn to Featherweight.
Win5–0Youri PanadaKO (head kick)Cage Warriors 112March 7, 202022:33 Manchester, EnglandCatchweight (150 lb) bout.
Win4–0Kalifa SeydiSubmission (rear-naked choke)Cage Conflict 2October 26, 201911:43 Belfast, Northern IrelandLightweight debut. Won the inaugural Cage Conflict Lightweight Championship.
Win3–0Mateusz MakarowskiSubmission (rear-naked choke)Cage Warriors: Unplugged 2September 6, 201912:34 London, EnglandCatchweight (164 lb) bout.
Win2–0Stephen O'NeillTKO (punches)Cage Conflict 1March 9, 201913:00 Belfast, Northern IrelandWon the inaugural Cage Conflict Featherweight Championship.
Win1–0Doolotaly ChodonovTKO (punches) BAMMA 28 February 24, 201711:32 Belfast, Northern IrelandFeatherweight debut.

See also

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References

  1. "Paul Hughes ("Big News") - MMA Fighter Page - Tapology". Tapology.com. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  2. Bolton, Michael (7 November 2022). "'The Irish Takeover Part 2': Paul Hughes On Taking Back The 'McGregor Belt'". Balls.ie. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  3. Danny Segura (13 August 2024). "Reports: A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes targeted for PFL pay-per-view on Oct. 19". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  4. Staff (19 October 2024). "PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact Results". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  5. Farah Hannoun (20 November 2024). "Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes for Bellator title set for Jan. 25 in Dubai". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 20 November 2024.