(Exclusive) Paul Hughes talks about the fight against AJ McKee and his big plans in the PFL

After signing a deal with the PFL earlier this year, Paul Hughes will face former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. He spoke to MMA KO's Drew Beaupré about the fight, the event and his big plans for next year.

“Big News” scored another stoppage win over Bobby King in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series: Dublin in June, and the 27-year-old has no qualms about facing significantly tougher competition than McKee in his official PFL debut on October 19.

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“That's why I came to the PFL. Every time I signed, I said I wanted the best fights, the most entertaining fights, the fights that would give the fans the biggest show… It's a big step up, but something I'm more than ready for.”

“On paper, I'm a big underdog. But I know my abilities, I've competed against some of the best in the world. And I know I have all the tools to beat people like AJ McKee. Because why else would I be calling for it all the time? So I'm 100 percent sure I'll come out of there with a win.”

The clash between Hughes and McKee was the first non-title fight added to a PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants card, which also features Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira and Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco.

Hughes is a former Cage Warriors champion himself and he knows that a fight with former Bellator titleholder McKee is about as heavyweight as the PFL can offer for a non-title fight.

“That is – I mean, the Ngannou [fight]of course the main event and co-main event are huge fights. I'm sure they want to put the biggest fights there are on this card, but I don't see any other fight as exciting or as intriguing as this matchup with AJ McKee. The MMA media is already going crazy about this fight. Yeah, it feels good.”

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The main event of the card will see former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou finally make his PFL debut, and “Big News” is excited to compete on the same night as a fighter who inspired him to sign his own contract with the PFL.

“It's a huge honor. I'm a huge fan of Francis Ngannou. I think his story is just one of the most incredible stories on the planet. I think he's just incredibly inspiring. And to share a card with him is very, very cool for me. He was also a huge inspiration for me to come to the PFL. He believed in himself, he kept pushing himself. And that's what I did, I'm really looking forward to it.”

A win over McKee would set Hughes up for a great 2025, and while he's currently unsure of his plans for next year, the 27-year-old is open to anything from competing in the PFL lightweight tournament to fighting for Bellator gold.

“I'm open to whatever the PFL wants. I think anytime I beat AJ here, I'll be in a really good position. It puts me in a position for very big fights. Another name I've been touted is Usman Nurmagomedov. I think AJ was next in line. Anytime I beat AJ, who's to say I can't hang with him? So it's really about what the PFL wants to do with me. I'm more than happy to fight on the PPV series, I'm more than happy to do the season. I'm more than happy to fight in Bellator, whatever they want… I'll fight anyone as long as I'm getting paid well.”

Usman Nurmagomedov defends Bellator title in San Diego

Hughes' stunning win at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin was immediately followed by an in-cage interview in which he called for an event in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and put the chance to headline there above anything else he could accomplish in his combat sports career.

“We've had conversations. I think I've made it pretty clear that that's the most important thing I want in my career, to be honest. Over Madison Square Garden, over T-Mobile Arena, I want to headline the SSE. [Arena] in Belfast. Because I made my professional debut there, so it's come full circle. We'll see what they want to do. Whenever I debuted in Dublin, the biggest cheer of the whole night was when I said, 'If you thought it was good in Dublin, wait until we bring it to Belfast.' And then the crowd erupted. So can you imagine if we take it there? Well, I'd love that. That's – that's what I have to do.”

“Big News” still has a big hurdle to overcome before he can finalize his plans for 2025, but Hughes is more than ready to step into the cage with McKee on October 19 at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I'm going to shock the world. I'm going to shock the world, really. That's what's going to happen.”

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