After just two weeks on the free agent market, hot Irish prospect Paul Hughes has signed a deal with the PFL that will keep him with the promotion for the next three years.
Hughes made his name in Cage Warriors where he won the featherweight title and amassed an 8-1 record, becoming one of the most exciting names in European MMA. There was a lot of chatter surrounding where he would end up after defeating Fabiano Silva via first round KO at the start of April, with many calling on the UFC to sign the future star.
In the end, Hughes signed with the PFL instead, where he’ll fight three times in 2024 before entering the 2025 and 2026 million dollar lightweight tournaments.
“To have a promotion like the PFL snap me up so quickly after testing free agency is just a testament to them,” Hughes told Sky Sports. “They obviously believe in me, they believe in my skills, and look — at the end of the day I’m the best in the world so they’re quite right to pick me up and I’m happy I’ve reached a deal with them after less than two weeks since I fought. So I’m incredibly excited right now.”
“The PFL million dollar tournament is in my opinion undeniably one of the hardest competitions in all of sports,” he said. “It’s four fights in the span of a 10 month period fighting for the ultimate glory: a million dollars and a world title. It’s an easy sell, man. I believe I’m the best in the world, I believe I have all the skills, and I believe that I will be a millionaire by the end of next year.”
“Definitely not a meaningful offer,” he said. “They came in with an offer, you know, but I know my value in this game and the PFL are aware of my value in this game and they are willing to invest in me and that is why — people think it would be a hard decision, it was the easiest decision in my life. If you weigh up the contracts, it’s a very easy decision to go join the PFL tournament.”
Over the past couple of years, the UFC has become extremely resistant to offering any prospects a serious deal. Paddy Pimblett was forced to sign a $12k/$12k contract to get his foot in the door. French star Cedric Doumbe walked away from a $20k/$20k UFC contract to make over $100,000 per fight with PFL.
So while it’s disappointing that another exciting new name isn’t coming into the UFC, it’s not exactly surprising.
Never heard of this guy.
And now that I have, I’ll likely forget since he’s in PFL.
I hope he makes bank, that’s what matters in this current life. I’m sure Dana knows that if he ever wants accolades and glory he’ll have to come knocking someday.
Still young, good move for him to build up some more experience and make a few quid, if he keeps going the way he has been the UFC will come knocking eventually.
He’s Northers Irish, not Irish.
Northern Ireland is part of Britain/united kingdom
Big difference.
If he was from Eire, the UFC would have signed him, as he would have had SBG Conor connections
I’d be curious to know what he considered a meaningful offer given his position with no real power to negotiate?
10/10
Take it or leave it ya Goof
It’s a good path for most top prospects.
Become a big deal in a secondary promotion and then immediately be treated like a star upon signing with UFC - ala Jiri, Chandler, MVP, Kayla Harrison - rather than work your way up in obscurity on the UFC prelims for 3-5 years for the same thing.
I think you can add Justin G and mike Chandler to that list, Ans cyborg, Askren etc.
LOL another very average Irish guy who thinks they can be the next conner! These kids would loose to LFA talent!
He’s northern Irish, , totally different country to Conor.
But yes, he would most likely lose LFA talent indeed
Reminds me of the newer NBA trends.
Where guys used to have to go to college first and play for free before entering the draft and NBA but now more guys are saying fuck college and doing shit like playing in China for a year instead to make good money and then entering the draft.
College is like Dana’s $10/$10 “you’re a nobody” offers.
So use your options and go make fucking money first and then come to Dana.
Just like a basketball player can embarrass himself looking like shit in China against mature pros, you can likewise ruin your stock here getting smoked in PFL. But that’s just the way it is.
Risk and reward if you want to get paid right.
There are plenty of Irish people in the north. Plenty that don’t hold brit passports.
He reps the tri colour and walks out to a Dubliners song, he’s Irish.
I know that, but he’s not southern Irish.
He was born in Australia and fighting out of Northern Ireland and has a northern Irish accent
He’s a fake that’s what he is and he’s a Prodi
