Paul Hughes out of PFL Belfast main event
Paul Hughes won’t be fighting in his native Ireland this April
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - SEPTEMBER 30: Paul Hughes speaks to media during the media day ahead of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai on September 30, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) | Getty Images Irish star Paul Hughes is off of PFL Belfast due to an injury. Hughes announced Wednesday via Instagram that a knee injury has forced him out of his April 16 lightweight bout against Jay-Jay Wilson, which was to headline the event in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Watch Hughes’ statement below. View this post on Instagram “Without going into too much detail, I picked up a knee injury in preparations and having explored every option it just isn’t possible for me to carry on training,” Hughes said. “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. 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. I think everyone knows how much this means to me 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.