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| (Image Source: Sportscasting/Professional Fighters League) |
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has officially announced that Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-2) will headline PFL Europe Belfast on May 10, 2025 at the SSE Arena in a homecoming showcase bout following his title challenge last January. In the Lightweight main event, Hughes is slated to take on Bruno “Robusto” Miranda (17-5), the Brazilian Muay Thai specialist who is a PFL Challenger Series contract winner who hones his craft in Thailand as evidenced by his aggressive striking style in the SmartCage earning him 9 KO/TKOs in his MMA career. With four wins in the PFL, Miranda’s most recent victory came over former Lightweight Champion Patricky Pitbull in an incredible action-packed fight, with his only two losses in the promotion coming by way of a former Bellator Champion and subsequent PFL Champion, Brent Primus and Olivier Aubin-Mercier respectively.
“Robusto” will look to spoil the homecoming party for Hughes who will fulfil a lifelong dream to main event at The SSE Arena, an iconic venue in Belfast, Ireland situated a stone’s throw away from his gym. At 27 years of age, Hughes accomplished everything possible on the regional stage before entering free agency, where he was pursued by every major mixed martial arts promotion on the planet before choosing to join PFL. A former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion before moving up to Lightweight, Hughes has shown his world class level by defeating former Featherweight Champion AJ McKee in October 2024, and narrowly losing a majority decision to current Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov in a critically acclaimed ‘fight of the year’ contender. “All my career I’ve said I will main event The SSE Arena, and we’ve made my dream into a reality. Belfast, I’m coming to put on a show for my people, and I will show you how much your support means to me. It’s time to get to work,” said Hughes.
Belfast will be the home of PFL Europe’s first tournament fights of 2025 which will see the continent’s top athletes enter a bracket who will have one shot to win three bouts across the year to earn the coveted PFL Europe Championship and a cash prize of $100,000. “Belfast, the PFL is coming to The SSE Arena with some Big News. For our first PFL Europe event of 2025, we knew we had to reward the Fighting Irish fandom with a Paul Hughes homecoming. The vocal support for Paul meant this was an easy decision, and I can’t wait to feel the atmosphere of The SSE Arena during the main event. But we plan to stack the card with our PFL Europe Tournament fighters, and a host of athletes who are prepared to lay it all on the line and put on a show. Belfast, get your tickets, we have a feeling this event will go down in history,” said PFL Chief Executive Officer Pete Murray. Meanwhile, the bracket has been officially announced for the 2025 PFL Europe Lightweight which is expected to be a thrilling competition between Europe's top fighters. Here are the first round matchups:
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| (Image Source: Sports Bytes Philippines/Professional Fighters League) |
Connor Hughes (England) vs. Sebastian Di Franco (Belgium)
Connor Hughes (10-2) is a devastating striker from Liverpool, known for his one-punch knockout power. Hughes will be looking to redeem himself after falling short in the 2024 PFL Europe Lightweight final against Jakub Kaszuba. His opponent, Sebastian Di Franco (10-3) from La Louvière, Belgium, is making his PFL debut after an impressive run in Belgium and France’s top MMA promotions.
Mark Ewen (Scotland) vs. Aleksandr “Pretty Boy” Chizov (Latvia)
Mark Ewen (6-1) from Edinburgh is considered one of the most promising MMA stars, with 18 victories, all by finish. Ewen is aiming to bounce back in the 2025 tournament after his first professional loss. He will face Aleksandr “Pretty Boy” Chizov (10-3) from Riga, Latvia, a fighter who’s trained under the elite Allstars Training Center in Sweden and is a force to be reckoned with.
Claudio Pacella (Italy) vs. Gavin “Big Tasty” Hughes (England)
Claudio Pacella (5-2) from Rome, training out of Dublin, is known for his durability and strong fight mentality. Pacella faces Gavin “Big Tasty” Hughes (11-4), a talented English fighter with significant Bellator experience and a reputation for facing top-tier competition.
Decky McAleenan (Ireland) vs. Gino “The Ghost Assassin” Van-Steenis (Spain)
Decky McAleenan (9-5-1), hailing from Ireland, makes his PFL debut with aspirations to bring the European title back to Ireland. His opponent, Gino Van-Steenis (5-1) from Spain, is the younger brother of PFL’s Middleweight contender Costello Van-Steenis, and is looking to carve out his own name in the division.
