PFL star Paul Hughes now has a target in his sights for later this year.
Hughes (13-2) boosted his stock despite a loss in January when he battled Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.
While he was largely dismissed by the Russian standout during the build-up, “Big News” pushed him to the limit across five rounds. Some even maintain that the ex-Cage Warriors champion did enough to deserve the victory, a sentiment shared by Hughes himself.
With that in mind, the Northern Irishman was quick to call for an immediate rematch in his native country, and he appeared to have the backing of the PFL higher-ups and many in the community.
But with Nurmagomedov seemingly planning to sit out until September or October, Hughes has had to settle for just half of his callout coming to fruition.
After much speculation, the PFL officially confirmed this week that Paul Hughes will headline a PFL Europe event in his country's capital city, Belfast, on May 10.
And an opponent has now been attached to Hughes' return, with "Big News" lined up to share the cage with Bruno Miranda (17-5), a former PFL semifinalist who most recently defeated Patricky Pitbull.
Paul Hughes will look to return to winning ways at Miranda's expense and stake his claim for a second showdown with Nurmagomedov before the year's end.