Irish standout Paul Hughes is set to headline the first PFL Europe event of the year on May 10, facing Bruno Miranda. Interestingly, Miranda knew Hughes from before his career as a professional fighter began.
Hughes gained prominence as the Cage Warriors champion before signing with Bellator, where he defeated AJ McKee Jr. and then lost a very close majority decision to Usman Nurmagomedov under the PFL banner. Miranda, a seasoned combatant with 22 MMA bouts and numerous kickboxing and muay thai fights, observed Hughes` success within the same promotion. It was then that friends pointed out that Hughes and Miranda had previously shared training mats in Thailand years ago.
Miranda, who lived in Phuket for over ten years, remembers watching Hughes train there in 2016 when the Irish talent was still competing as an amateur in MMA.
“I recall us being in the same training sessions at Tiger Muay Thai, and he was quite young back then,” Miranda told MMA Fighting. “I’m pleased to be fighting him now, someone I respect. I’ve had the chance to see his development, so it’s genuinely an honor to be headlining this event against him in Ireland, a country passionate about fighting, much like Brazil.”
Hughes’ notoriety grew significantly after his contested loss to Nurmagomedov in January. With fans clamoring for an immediate rematch, Miranda sees this upcoming bout as a “huge opportunity” for himself. While he doesn`t believe an upset win automatically guarantees him a shot at the lightweight title, he feels it will undeniably change how the MMA community perceives him.
“He’s had a solid career, and his last fight was excellent,” Miranda stated. “I honestly think he won, but that`s in the past. I am here to upset the probabilities, to defeat the favorite. It truly is an honor; I hold immense respect for him and the entire Irish nation. I`m coming with the highest regard, prepared to bring intensity and secure the victory.”
“I will be a tough challenge for him,” he added. “I don’t have specific expectations for what happens after this fight. I`m not looking past anything; I just want to be a difficult opponent and get the win. A title opportunity *could* be possible, but I prefer to take things one step at a time. Whatever comes next is a bonus. The primary objective is to defeat him. I’ll be happy with whatever the PFL offers me afterward.”
Miranda is coming off a decision victory against former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull in June 2024, rebounding from consecutive defeats to PFL champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier and former Bellator titleholder Brent Primus. He plans to test Hughes’ striking abilities when they meet at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
“Every fight is unique, and each matchup is different,” Miranda commented. “I can’t compare myself to his last opponent because our styles are not the same, but he’s the kind of fighter who applies pressure — and I truly enjoy that. I am an aggressive fighter consistently, and I want to see how he copes with the pressure of facing a genuine striker in front of him.”
