Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter
| Paul Hughes | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1997-03-27) 27 March 1997 (age 27) 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) |
| 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 | 10 |
| Wins | 8 |
| By submission | 3 |
| Losses | 2 |
| 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 the Professional Fighters 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 Lavey, 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, debuting at BAMMA 28 and winning in 92 seconds.
Early career
Hughes first gained attention in the European MMA scene with Cage Warriors, where he won the Interim Featherweight Championship by defeating Morgan Charrière via majority decision at Cage Warriors 128. He later unified the title by winning a rematch against Jordan Vucenic by unanimous decision at Cage Warriors 145. This bout avenged his only career loss, which he suffered in a close split decision to Vucenic in 2020. Hughes was the first Irish fighter since Conor McGregor to become Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion. Following a first-round knockout win over Fabiano Silva at Cage Warriors 170, Hughes left the promotion and became a free agent. He eventually signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Professional Fighters League/Bellator
Hughes made his debut by defeating Bobby King via technical knockout in the second round 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. He won the fight by split decision.
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.
Championships and accomplishments
- Cage Warriors
- Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship (One time)
- Cage Warriors Interim Featherweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record
| 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 | Adam Gustab | TKO (punches) | BAMMA 28 | February 24, 2017 | 1 | 1:32 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Featherweight debut. |
See also
- List of current PFL fighters
- List of current Bellator MMA fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
References
- "Paul Hughes ("Big News") - MMA Fighter Page - Tapology". Tapology.com. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- Fullerton, Gareth (16 January 2025). "Paul Hughes: Irish MMA star explains role Gaelic football and hurling played in fight career". Belfast Live. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- Carroll, Petesy (17 October 2024). "Time waits for no man, and Paul Hughes is impatient". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- Bohn, Mike (1 October 2021). "Cage Warriors 128 results: Paul Hughes claims interim belt in classic with Morgan Charriere". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- "Paul Hughes crowned Cage Warriors interim featherweight world champion". BBC Sport. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- Wells, Matthew (4 November 2022). "Cage Warriors 145 results: Paul Hughes bloodies Jordan Vucenic to unify featherweight title". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- Markey, Michael (5 November 2022). "Cage Warriors: 'It's hard to celebrate' - Paul Hughes becomes champion". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- Martin, Damon (16 January 2025). "Top prospect Paul Hughes ends free agency, signs with PFL". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- "Hughes defeats King on Bellator debut in Dublin". BBC Sport. 23 June 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- 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.
- Staff (19 October 2024). "PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact Results". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- Bailie, Keith (19 October 2024). "Lavey's MMA star Paul Hughes stuns AJ McKee in Saudi Arabia: 'Judging by his face, I clearly won'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- 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.
- "Paul "Big News" Hughes". Sherdog. Retrieved 16 January 2025.