Paul Hughes returned to competition in impressive fashion, securing a significant victory.
On Saturday, Hughes headlined the PFL Belfast event at the SSE Arena in his hometown. This marked his first fight since a very close decision loss to Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title in January. The event was highly anticipated, centered around Hughes`s return home, and “Big News” delivered by overwhelming Bruno Miranda in under a minute.
The SSE Arena crowd was electric from the start, amplified by a special walkout featuring a live introduction from Irish musician Foy Vance. Hughes channeled this energy into a rapid start against Miranda. He pressed forward effectively, capitalizing when he caught a less-than-perfect kick from Miranda and countering with a sharp left hook that sent the Brazilian fighter to the canvas. Hughes quickly followed up with ground strikes, prompting the referee to intervene just 42 seconds into the bout.
Following his dominant win, Hughes had a clear message for his past, and potentially future, opponent.
“Usman Nurmagomedov! You can try to avoid this rematch all you want, but your time is definitely coming!”
