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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.
| Paul Hughes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 March 1997 Sydney, Australia |
| Other names | Big News |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) |
| Division | Featherweight Lightweight |
| Reach | 70 in (178 cm)[1] |
| Fighting out of | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Team | Fight Academy Ireland |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 14 |
| Wins | 13 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 8 |
| Wins | 6 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
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]
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)
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]
| 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. |
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