Life-changing win, quick KO & controversial loss - Hughes' biggest bouts

Paul Hughes is group for a imaginable career-defining nighttime connected Friday arsenic he takes connected PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov successful their highly anticipated rematch successful Dubai.

The rivals will conflict for nan PFL lightweight world title successful what will beryllium nan co-main arena of nan PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

A triumph connected Friday would further propel nan lightweight, whose master grounds stands astatine 14 wins and 2 losses, into MMA stardom.

Before Friday's large fight, BBC Sport NI looks backmost astatine 5 of his astir memorable bouts.

Hughes began his master profession successful 2017 but really started to summation attraction while he was signed pinch Cage Warriors.

His large break came successful his ninth master conflict arsenic he won nan Cage Warriors interim featherweight world title aft securing a mostly determination triumph complete Morgan Charriere successful October 2021 successful London.

It was an action-packed, backmost and distant contest, pinch Charriere dominating nan 2nd round, earlier nan momentum swung successful favour of Hughes thereafter.

The man from Lavey took his force down and was successful power successful nan later rounds, coming adjacent to submitting his French force and landing a number of eye-catching strikes.

He was visibly affectional erstwhile receiving nan loop and whilst Charriere has since joined nan UFC, Hughes' trajectory has been connected a likewise upward trajectory since that conflict 4 years ago.

That triumph complete Charriere group up an intriguing rematch for Hughes against Jordan Vecenic for nan undisputed featherweight title successful November 2022.

That loop was antecedently won by Conor McGregor earlier nan Dubliner changeable to sporting stardom arsenic a two-weight UFC champion, truthful nan value of a triumph successful propelling his profession further what was not mislaid connected Hughes.

Motivation for triumph was only enhanced by nan request for revenge arsenic nan Derry autochthonal had suffered his sole profession conclusion astatine that shape of his profession against Vucenic successful 2020.

Hughes mislaid retired connected a arguable divided determination to his English force and their rematch was delayed by injuries sustained by some fighters.

When it was announced, nan fight, which would return spot complete 5 rounds this time, was billed arsenic nan biggest successful Cage Warriors history, fixed it would pit nan champion against nan interim champion.

With nan unit on, Lavey man Hughes delivered a superb show to return location a deserved unanimous determination win.

A caput footwear successful nan 2nd information stumbled Vucenic and allowed Hughes to get nan ascendant position and power nan mostly of nan information connected his opponent's back.

At nan extremity of nan 3rd round, Hughes almost stopped Vucenic aft dropping his force pursuing a assemblage changeable and a knee to nan head.

Hughes past picked up wherever he near disconnected successful nan fourth, dropping Vucenic pinch a operation of punches and successful nan 5th he saw retired nan title connected top.

It was a existent connection win, that again had group taking note, but bigger things were still to travel for Hughes.

In his 2nd conflict aft signing for PFL, it was announced Hughes would return connected AJ McKee successful Dubai successful October 2024.

Hughes had called nan conflict pinch McKee a "life-changing opportunity" successful nan build-up to nan contest, pinch nan American representing nan biggest bout of his profession astatine that time.

McKee, a erstwhile Bellator featherweight title holder, was an knowledgeable and elite operator, having won 22 of his 23 master bouts anterior to gathering Hughes.

It was an evident measurement up from Cage Warriors successful position of nan calibre of opponent, and he was intelligibly nan underdog, but Hughes passed nan trial pinch flying colours and made nan world beryllium up and return announcement pinch a divided determination win.

Hughes caught McKee pinch a correct hook successful nan first information and impressed passim pinch his vulnerable striking.

Whilst McKee fought backmost successful nan 2nd round, Hughes would return power again successful nan last 5 minutes, trapping McKee up against nan cage and unleashing an array of strikes, including an eye-catching uppercut.

In nan contiguous aftermath of nan fight, he called for a title conflict pinch Usman Nurmagomedov, and pinch his banal rising pursuing nan biggest triumph of his career, his wish was swiftly granted...

Unsurprisingly, nan original conflict betwixt Hughes and Nurmagomedov successful January successful Dubai for nan past Bellator lightweight title features connected this database arsenic it is considered 1 of nan fights of 2025.

Hughes, again, was a immense underdog going into nan conflict and whilst he produced an awesome performance, he conscionable fell short arsenic Nurmagomedov claimed a thrilling mostly determination win.

In information two, Hughes caught Nurmagomedov pinch a move footwear while he defended nan champion's repeated takedown attempts impressively.

Momentum shifted successful nan 4th information pursuing a conflict of heads arsenic Nurmagomedov ended nan information powerfully pinch a takedown and remained connected apical successful nan last information by landing respective kicks to Hughes' thigh.

After Hughes escaped, nan brace traded blows successful a frenetic conclusion, pinch some fighters appearing assured they had done capable to unafraid triumph astatine nan end.

Nurmagomedov retained nan loop and extended his unbeaten streak to 19 fights aft nan judges scored nan conflict 47-47 48-46 48-46 successful his favour.

In nan aftermath of nan conflict he admitted he had "underestimated" Hughes and knows he tin ill-afford to do nan aforesaid successful their 2nd conflict connected Friday.

Hughes said astatine nan clip nan divided determination triumph awarded to nan Russian was "pretty ridiculous," a position he still maintains.

Hughes bounced backmost successful style from that agonising nonaccomplishment against Nurmagomedov pinch an explosive 42-second knockout triumph complete Bruno Miranda successful his astir caller conflict successful May successful Belfast.

Fighting connected location ungraded for nan first clip since 2019, Hughes produced an electrical capacity that matched nan ambiance successful nan SSE Arena.

Hughes needed a large capacity connected location ungraded to liking his declare for a rematch against Nurmagomedov and he delivered, taking advantage of a lazy footwear from Brazilian Miranda by catching it and delivering his knockout blow.

As Miranda collapsed and Hughes unloaded, nan referee stepped successful to extremity nan title and a fired up Hughes soaked up nan adulation from a raucous Belfast crowd.

"Usman Nurmagomedov, you tin tally and you tin effort hold this rematch arsenic agelong arsenic you want, but your time is coming," Hughes said successful nan aftermath.

Now, aft months of waiting, nan 2 will so fastener horns again successful for what is group to beryllium different exhilarating bout successful Dubai connected Friday pinch Hughes having only nan request for redemption connected his mind.