Paul Hughes set to headline PFL Belfast card after war with Usman Nurmagomedov

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Mar 1, 2025 5:12 PM ET

(PFL)

Paul Hughes will realize a lifelong dream when the PFL heads to Belfast, Northern Ireland for an event in May.

Hughes Already A Major PFL Star

A former Cage Warriors champion, Hughes famously decided to test free agency last year and inked a deal with the PFL before he stopped Bobby King in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series: Dublin in June.

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“Big News” followed that debut up with an upset-win over former Bellator titleholder AJ McKee Jr. at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia, and that victory set the 27-year-old up for a chance to challenge undefeated Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

(Jose Peñuela / 2024PFLPPV)

The headlining title fight at PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series marked the official end of the Bellator era. Hughes came up short on the scorecards, but he pushed Nurmagomedov to the very brink in a matchup that many fans hailed as one of the best fights in PFL history.

(Jose Peñuela / PFL)

"Big News" To Headline PFL Belfast

Hughes has been vocal about his desire to face Nurmagomedov again following their initial fight, but now it appears “Big News” is willing to postpone those plans for the chance to headline a PFL card in his home city of Belfast.

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The news that the PFL would be heading to Belfast on May 10 immediately sparked conversations around Hughes as the potential headliner, and although fans may be disappointed that the Nurmagomedov matchup isn’t happening right away the event promises to be a massive one with the Irish star at the top of the bill.

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Hughes told MMA Knockout ahead of his fights with Nurmagomedov and McKee that headlining a card at the SSE Arena in Belfast was easily the biggest goal of his fighting career, and after stopping King in Dublin the 27-year-old famously said “If you think it was good in Dublin, wait 'till you see if we brought it to Belfast.”

(Bellator MMA)

It’s unclear at this time who Hughes will face at PFL Belfast. Given his performance against Nurmagomedov and rising stardom in the PFL, “Big News” should find himself standing across from a major name on May 10.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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