“Absolutely Crushed” Paul Hughes Breaks Silence On PFL Belfast Exit, Confirms Knee Injury Forced Withdrawal From April 16 Return

Paul Hughes has recently addressed the severe knee injury that has unfortunately sidelined him from his highly anticipated return to the PFL arena. The prominent Irish fighter, known as “Big News,” was scheduled to headline PFL Belfast against Jay Jay Wilson on April 16 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, the promotion officially announced his withdrawal from the bout after he sustained a significant knee injury.

The 28-year-old Irishman will be replaced by his fellow countryman Darragh Kelly. Kelly was originally slated to face Sergio Cossio on the same fight card but will now step in on short notice to compete against Wilson in the lightweight main event.

Following his forced withdrawal, Paul Hughes publicly expressed his profound disappointment. He had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to compete on home soil in front of his fans. Hughes took to social media to share an emotional statement regarding his sudden exit from the PFL Belfast main event due to the knee injury suffered during training. In a heartfelt message, he conveyed his devastation and offered an apology to his supporters.

Hughes also disclosed the seriousness of the injury, stating that it was severe enough to require immediate attention and could not be delayed further, with surgery already scheduled for the upcoming week. “I’m out of PFL Belfast. Did everything I possibly could. Surgery next week to fix the issue. I’m sorry to all my supporters. I am absolutely crushed… I will be back as soon as humanly possible. The obstacle is the way,” Hughes wrote.

Hughes was last seen in action at the PFL Champions Series in Dubai in October 2025, where he experienced a unanimous decision loss in a rematch against the reigning lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Prior to that defeat, the former Cage Warriors lightweight champion had showcased a powerful performance, securing a 42-second knockout win over Bruno Miranda in May 2025, bouncing back from his initial encounter with Nurmagomedov.

“Big News” currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 14 wins and 3 losses, including a 2-2 record within the PFL organization.