The PFL has suffered a major blow to its April 16 fight card in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as Belfast’s own Paul Hughes is out of the lightweight main event after suffering a knee injury in training.
Hughes (14-3), who has challenged for the 155-pound championship in both the PFL and Bellator, announced on his Instagram account that he has withdrawn from his fight with Jay Jay Wilson.
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“I’ve consulted with my team alongside top professionals, and unfortunately this injury cannot be pushed through anymore. I will be having surgery very soon to fix this issue,” Hughes said in a video statement. “This is the game of mixed martial arts — it’s the highest highs and the lowest lows, and this is one of the lowest lows. I am absolutely crushed.”
Hughes is 4-0 in his hometown — all first-round finishes.
“I think everyone knows how much this means to me,” he said, “to bring PFL back to Belfast, to not only showcase my skills but to also highlight the talent that we have on this island in front of the world.”
Some of that Irish talent will still get its day, according to John Martin, CEO of the PFL. The new main event will pit Wilson (11-2) against a different Irishman, undefeated Darragh Kelly. A product of the SBG team in Dublin, Kelly (9-0) was to face Sergio Cossio in the co-main event, but Cossio will now face a different fighter from Conor McGregor’s home gym, onetime Bellator featherweight title challenger Pedro Carvalho.
Also added to the card, according to Martin, is recent signee Rhys McKee, a former UFC fighter. The PFL will name his opponent next week.
“We’re wishing Paul a speedy recovery,” Martin said in a video message on the PFL page on Instagram, “and hope that he’ll be back in the cage with us relatively soon.”