Paul Hughes (fighter)

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)
DivisionFeatherweight
Lightweight
Reach70 in (178 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofBelfast, Northern Ireland
TeamFight 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.

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

  • Cage Warriors
    • Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship (One time)
    • Cage Warriors Interim Featherweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
14 matches 13 wins 1 loss
By knockout 6 0
By submission 3 0
By decision 4 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 13–1 A. J. McKee Decision (split) PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants October 19, 2024 3 5:00 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Win 12–1 Bobby King TKO (punches and elbows) Bellator Champions Series 3 June 22, 2024 2 4:50 Dublin, Ireland
Win 11–1 Fabiano Silva TKO (knee and elbows) Cage Warriors 170 April 6, 2024 1 4:37 Dublin, Ireland Catchweight (160 lb) bout.
Win 10–1 Jan Quaeyhaegens KO (punches) Cage Warriors 161 October 14, 2023 1 2:47 Dublin, Ireland Return to Lightweight.
Win 9–1 Jordan Vucenic Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors 145 November 4, 2022 5 5:00 London, England Won and unified the Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship.
Win 8–1 Morgan Charrière Decision (majority) Cage Warriors 128 October 1, 2021 5 5:00 London, England Won the interim Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship.
Win 7–1 James Hendin Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors 120 March 18, 2021 3 5:00 London, England
Loss 6–1 Jordan Vucenic Decision (split) Cage Warriors 119 December 12, 2020 3 5:00 London, England
Win 6–0 Aidan Stephen Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Warriors 116 August 11, 2020 3 4:21 Manchester, England Return to Featherweight.
Win 5–0 Youri Panada KO (head kick) Cage Warriors 112 March 7, 2020 2 2:33 Manchester, England Catchweight (150 lb) bout.
Win 4–0 Kalifa Seydi Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Conflict 2 October 26, 2019 1 1:43 Belfast, Northern Ireland Lightweight debut. Won the inaugural Cage Conflict Lightweight Championship.
Win 3–0 Mateusz Makarowski Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Warriors: Unplugged 2 September 6, 2019 1 2:34 London, England Catchweight (164 lb) bout.
Win 2–0 Stephen O'Neill TKO (punches) Cage Conflict 1 March 9, 2019 1 3:00 Belfast, Northern Ireland Won the inaugural Cage Conflict Featherweight Championship.
Win 1–0 Doolotaly Chodonov TKO (punches) BAMMA 28 February 24, 2017 1 1:32 Belfast, Northern Ireland Featherweight debut.

See also

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.