Irish star Paul Hughes will headline PFL Europe’s first card of the yr on Might 10 towards Bruno Miranda, a person who has seen him in motion earlier than he turned a professional fighter.
Hughes rose to stardom as Cage Warriors champion earlier than inking a take care of Bellator to beat AJ McKee Jr. after which lose an excellent shut majority determination to their champion Usman Nurmagomedov beneath the PFL banner. “Robusto” Miranda, a veteran of twenty-two MMA bouts and dozens of kickboxing and muay thai matches, noticed Hughes’ success beneath the identical banner. And that’s when his buddies realized Hughes and Miranda as soon as shared the identical mat earlier than in Thailand.
Miranda had lived in Phuket for over a decade and remembers watching Hughes prepare there in 2016, again when the Irish expertise was nonetheless an newbie MMA fighter.
“I bear in mind we had been on the identical coaching at Tiger, and he was fairly younger,” Miranda advised MMA Preventing. “I’m completely happy to be preventing him now, somebody I love. I obtained to see his progress, so it’s an honor to be doing this essential occasion towards him in Eire, a struggle nation like Brazil.”
Hughes’ hype solely grew after the contested defeat to Nurmagomedov in January. Followers have clamored for a right away rematch, so Miranda sees this as “an enormous alternative for me.” The Brazilian expertise doesn’t suppose it robotically units him up for a shot on the light-weight belt with an upset, however it undoubtedly modifications the best way he’s seen by the MMA neighborhood.
“He’s had a strong profession, and his final struggle was nice,” Miranda stated. “I feel he received, however that’s it. I’m right here to interrupt the percentages, to interrupt the favorites. It truly is an honor, I respect him and [the] total Irish nation. I’m going there with the utmost respect to convey the hearth and get the victory.”
“I’ll be the thorn in his facet,” he continued. “I’ve no expectations for after this struggle. I’m not wanting previous something, however I wish to be the thorn in his facet and convey the victory. [A title shot] may very well be attainable, however I wish to suppose step-by-step. No matter comes subsequent is a bonus. The primary objective is to beat him. I’ll be proud of something PFL provides me after.”
Miranda received a choice towards former Bellator light-weight champion Patricky Pitbull in his most up-to-date bout in June 2024, rebounding from back-to-back defeats to PFL champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier and ex-Bellator titleholder Brent Primus, and plans to check Hughes’ placing on the SSE Area in Belfast.
“A struggle is a struggle and each match-up is exclusive,” Miranda stated. “I can’t evaluate myself along with his final struggle as a result of the types are totally different, however he’s the kind of fighter that places stress — and I really like that. I’m an aggressive fighter always, and I wanna see how he offers with the stress of being with an actual striker in entrance of him.”
