It only took 42 seconds for Paul Hughes
to remind the world why he’s the face of Irish mixed martial
arts.

The Belfast native put a swift beatdown on Bruno
Miranda to cap off the
2025 PFL Europe 1 main event from SSE Arena in Belfast,
Northern Ireland. Coming off a narrow loss to Bellator
MMA lightweight champion Usman
Nurmagomedov, Hughes (14-2) could’ve opted to wait for
Nurmagomedov to give him his well-deserved rematch, but instead, he
decided to give his hometown fans the show they’ve come to expect
over the years. Miranda was outclassed and out of his depth and
Hughes didn’t even break a sweat, but Nurmagomedov might be after
Hughes called him out post-fight.

“Your day is fu*king coming!” Hughes belted toward the
champion.

McGrillen-Evans Seeks Repeat

Lewis
McGrillen-Evans is one of the most exciting fighters to come
out of the PFL Europe banner, and once again proved why he’s a
can’t-miss prospect.

After winning the bantamweight tournament last season,
McGrillen-Evans took his first steps toward another title run with
a second-round rear-naked choke of Alan
Philpott (3:17). McGrillen-Evans is known for coming out guns
blazing, and that was the case in the co-main event. Philpott (2
1-17, 1 NC) looked to tag and counter, but was forced to scrap to
hold off the pressure of the “McGrizzler,” but what he didn’t
expect was the Manchester Top Team product to show impressive
scrambles. With Philpott looking to come forward in the second
round, McGrillen-Evans switched gears and lifted Philpott above his
head before dumping him in the center of the cage.
Disoriented, Phillpott looked to defend but gave up his back,
giving McGrillen-Evans his first submission win of his
career.


Hughes Decimates Di Franco

There were several thrilling finishes on Saturday’s card, but
Connor
Hughes likely stole the show with his one-shot knockout of
Sebastien
Di Franco.

After swelling Di Franco’s leg like a balloon in the first round,
Hughes went into the second stanza looking to go home early and got
his wish.
With matrix-like timing, Hughes countered Di Franco’s jab with a
lightning-fast right hand, sending the Belgian flat on his back and
out cold at the 2:46 mark. Hughes (11-2) fell short of
PFL Europe gold last year, but he storms into the semifinals riding
the high of one of the year’s best knockouts.

Van Steenis Outworks McAleenan

Tied at a round apiece heading into the final round, Gino van
Steenis overcame local favorite Declan
McAleenan to secure his spot in the lightweight semifinals.

Thanks to his busy work rate on the ground, all three judges had it
29-28 for the MMA Valaardingen product. van Steenis is the younger
brother of PFL contender Costello
van Steenis, but is starting to make a name for himself after
improving to 6-1.

Khan Denies McCormac

Haider
Khan outwrestled local Irishman Sean
McCormac in a 194-pound catchweight bout en route to a
unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

McCormac was the busier fighter on the feet early, but “Darth” was
the dominant fighter on the ground. McCormac was smothered like a
Pillsbury biscuit on the canvas, and the third round zapped his gas
tank. The performance was far from impressive, and Khan missing
weight wasn’t ideal, but the win improved his record to 10-1.

Chizovs Rebounds Against Ewen

It’s been a long time since Aleksandrs
Chizovs had a great day in the cage. After storming out to a
10-1 record, the highly touted Latvian lost his momentum and
confidence on a two-fight skid that kept him winless for nearly
three years.

None of that would matter on Saturday as Chizovs secured a huge
statement win with a first-round TKO over Mark Ewen
(1:33). Chizovs (11-3) wasted little time taking control of center
cage and kept Ewen (6-2) off balance with his reach. Ewen looked to
close the distance and take back ground, but he was met by a

Chizovs’ long left hook that buckled him to his knees
and forced the referee Derek Hickey to stop the fight.

Chizovs broke down in the cage after he realized his skid was over,
but now must turn his head to a lightweight semifinal showdown with
Claudio
Pacella.

Pacella Advances to Semis

Pacella punched his ticket to the PFL Europe lightweight semifinals
after a hard-fought decision over wild vet Gavin
Hughes (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

Pacella and Hughes fought like two dogs locked in a phone booth.
They stayed in each other’s chest and traded shots for all three
rounds, but Pacella’s body work and hand speed separated him in the
exchanges. Since losing his PFL debut last year, Pacella (6-2) has
reeled off three straight wins and could emerge as a potential
darkhorse in the tournament.

Despite the gritty performance and an incredible walkout to Pink
Floyd’s iconic “Time,” the 37-year-old Hughes (11-5) will have to
rebuild yet again after losing four of his last five.

Surging Sheridan Builds on Hype

Lanky Eoin
Sheridan brought the Belfast fans to their feet with an
impressive first-round demolition job of Malichi
Edwards. The 6-foot-5 inch Irish welterweight
dropped the Manchester native with a perfectly-timed check left
hook and mauled him on the canvas until the fight was
halted at the 1:53 mark of the first round.

Sheridan (3-0) has shined early in his career. Blessed with height,
reach and power, the
SBG Ireland prospect poses a unique threat to the welterweight
division.

Auld Rallies to Dispatch of Luxton

Gemma
Auld was bloodied, bruised and busted up after the first round
of her flyweight clash against English fan favorite Sammy Jo
Luxton.

Luxton, an accomplished muay thai fighter, used her striking
prowess to piece up the Scot throughout the opening stanza, but
lacked the all-around game to keep Auld off her back. Auld ate the
shots, but closed the distance in round two and put Luxton on the
mat. After climbing Luxton’s back,
Auld administered some nasty ground-and-pound until the Manchester
Top Team prospect left her neck open.

Auld (2-0) seized her opportunity and sunk in a rear-naked choke
(2:43) to pull off the upset comeback victory.

McLaughlin Bloodied, But Not Beaten

Irish featherweight prospect Corey
McLaughlin (1-1) picked up his first pro win after a gritty
three-round scrap against Etrirea’s Nahom Wedi
(0-1).

The fight started slow, but McLaughlin’s leg kicks and fast hands
gained him a two-round lead on the scorecards. Wedi would close the
gap and open a nasty gash over McLaughlin’s eye in the third round
with a flurry of elbows. McLaughlin turned the tide with a late
takedown and finished the fight strong with ground-and-pound.
Despite the bloody eye, McLaughlin was awarded the unanimous
decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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