Highly-touted prospect Paul Hughes will be taking a significant step up in competition for his next fight.
A lightweight clash pitting Hughes against A.J. McKee has been targeted for Professional Fighters League’s upcoming pay-per-view event on Oct. 19. MagicM MMABets first brought word of the pairing on social media, and it was later confirmed by MMAFighting.com. The promotion has yet to formally announce the bout.
The PFL Super Fights Event, entitled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact,”is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira. In the co-main event, Cristiane Justino will square off against Larissa Pacheco. The card will air on pay-per-view, likely through ESPN+.
A former Cage Warriors champion, Hughes ended a high-profile free agent period by signing with the PFL. He made his debut with Bellator – which is also owned by PFL – on June 22, when he defeated Bobby King via second-round TKO. “Big News” has won six consecutive fights and owns a 12-1 career mark overall.
McKee, meanwhile, is 4-0 since moving up to 155 pounds. The former Bellator MMA featherweight king last appeared at PFL vs. Bellator Champs on Feb. 24, when he submitted Clay Collard with an armbar in 70 seconds.
