PFL Europe Belfast

Paul “Big News” Hughes returns to action in a showcase headline bout for PFL Europe Belfast at The SSE Arena, Belfast on 10 May

Belfast will be the first of four cities in 2025 to host PFL Europe tournaments, featuring the top athletes across the continent fighting to become a PFL Europe Champion

London (10 March, 2025) - The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-2) will headline PFL Europe Belfast on 10 May at The SSE Arena, who’s set for a homecoming showcase bout following his title challenge this past January. Tickets for PFL Europe Belfast go on sale on Wednesday 12 March at 10am GMT via ticketmaster.ie.

Hughes will fulfil a lifelong dream to main event at The SSE Arena, Belfast’s iconic venue situated a stone’s throw away from his gym, and promises his fans a spectacle.

At 27 years of age, Hughes accomplished everything possible on the regional stage before entering free agency, where he was pursued by every major mixed martial arts promotion on the planet before choosing to join PFL. A former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion before moving up to Lightweight, Hughes has shown his world class level by defeating former Featherweight Champion AJ McKee in October 2024, and narrowly losing a majority decision to current Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov in a publicly acclaimed ‘fight of the year’ contender.

“All my career I’ve said I will main event The SSE Arena, and we’ve made my dream into a reality. Belfast, I’m coming to put on a show for my people, and I will show you how much your support means to me. It’s time to get to work.” Said Paul Hughes.

Belfast will be the home of PFL Europe’s first tournament fights of 2025, which will see the continent’s top athletes enter a bracket who will have one shot to win three bouts across the year to earn the coveted PFL Europe Championship and a cash prize of $100,000.

“Belfast, the PFL is coming to The SSE Arena with some Big News. For our first PFL Europe event of 2025, we knew we had to reward the Fighting Irish fandom with a Paul Hughes homecoming.” Said PFL Chief Executive Officer Pete Murray.

“The vocal support for Paul meant this was an easy decision, and I can’t wait to feel the atmosphere of The SSE Arena during the main event. But we plan to stack the card with our PFL Europe Tournament fighters, and a host of athletes who are prepared to lay it all on the line and put on a show. Belfast, get your tickets, we have a feeling this event will go down in history.”

ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL is the only MMA organization with the “win and advance” format. PFL is broadcast and streamed to 190 countries with 20 leading media partners. PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, 885 Capital, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.