Paul Hughes recently withdrew from the PFL Belfast main event scheduled for April 16th after sustaining a knee injury in training. The fighter announced the setback on social media and will undergo surgery soon.
In a recent Instagram video post, Hughes revealed the unfortunate incident and said that his PFL comeback fight was called off due to a serious knee injury.
“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,” Hughes said.
“The card will go ahead featuring the best talent the island has to offer. Including my teammates and the future of Irish MMA.
“I will be back as soon as humanly possible. The obstacle is the way.”
Hughes was set to headline the event against Jay Jay Wilson in front of his hometown crowd. The promotion announced the change on Wednesday, with Wilson now facing undefeated Darragh Kelly (9-0) in the new main event.
PFL Belfast Card
The withdrawal is a significant blow for the Belfast card, as Hughes holds a perfect 4-0 record in his hometown with all four victories coming by first-round finish. The 27-year-old fighter carries a professional record of 14-3 and has challenged for the 155-pound championship in both PFL and Bellator.
PFL’s Ray Sefo issued a statement wishing Hughes a speedy recovery. The promotion moved quickly to secure Kelly as a replacement opponent to maintain a competitive main event for the April 16 card.
No timeline has been provided for Hughes’ return to competition following the surgery.
We at MMA News wish Paul Hughes a speedy recovery.