Fighters are often criticized for failing to prioritize their financial interests in their MMA careers, but no such accusation can be made toward Irish prospect Paul Hughes.
Hughes (11-1), a former Cage Warriors champion, just went through the process of free agency and had bids on the table from both the UFC and PFL. He opted to go with the latter to the surprise of some, but for Hughes it was not much of a debate.
“As the time has went on, the more and more chuffed I’ve been with the decision,” Hughes told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I’d fought for Cage Warriors a long time and to have that opportunity to test free agency was exciting. … I actually opened communication with the PFL six months before this. We had an offer from them, but at the time, I couldn’t get out of my Cage Warriors deal. So I couldn’t entertain that. But the offer was there.
“What that offer did was change things for me. I had six months to basically make this decision if this was the pathway I wanted to go down. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. … The main driving force behind it was the 2025 $1 million tournament, which I’ll be entering. I’m 27 years old. If I get the opportunity to have $1 million in the bank at 27, I think I’m doing pretty damn good. Fighters need to capitalize in this game. It’s that simple. The last thing I want is to be someone who gave my life to this game and came out the other side with no money in the end.”
Why PFL over UFC?
Hughes confirmed that his free agency process netted an offer from the UFC. He could’ve potentially made an octagon debut on the same UFC 303 card that features the return of Irish superstar Conor McGregor, and it was all tempting.
However, when Hughes sat down with his team and dove into the positives and negatives, it kept coming back to maximizing his position. In that vein, the package PFL presented was difficult to resist.
“I, of course, had an offer from the UFC,” Hughes said. “I’m trail blazing my own path here, and I am on my own journey, and I am forging a new journey for myself. But also for younger fighters coming up through this game that have star potential, you don’t have to always just go this pathway of what you’re being told to do. You’re most likely not getting compensated for it at the beginning of your career. Why should you have to fight a few years before you start making money when you bring the value to the table where you should be getting paid your worth?
“I understand if you’re a younger fighter coming up and you have six, seven, eight fights and you don’t really have a name for yourself, you haven’t won word titles outside of the organization, then go down that pathway potentially. But not many fighters come out the other side of this game with money in the bank, and the value I bring to this game and my fights and this sport and the atmosphere and the feeling that I bring, I deserve to get compensated for that. I believe I bring something different to the table.”
Looking toward Bellator Champions Series debut
The positive light in which PFL views Hughes is evident from the outset. Just days after his signing was made official, the promotion booked him for the Bellator Champions Series: Dublin card on June 22 at 3Arena.
It might be the last time Hughes gets a chance to compete on home soil for several years as he intends to make multiple runs in the $1 million PFL seasons starting next year. He is pleased he gets to keep active before that begins next year, though, starting with a co-main event matchup against Bobby King (12-6).
“I knew this Dublin card was going to be a thing,” Hughes said. “I asked for Patricky ‘Pitbull,’ I asked for Peter Queally – these were the names I was throwing out. They were unavailable, but I said, ‘Get me the hardest fight you can, get me the biggest name value fight you can.’ They loved to hear that, but they said, ‘Look, we’ve got this guy for you, he’s accepted the fight and let’s get the ball rolling.’
“Bobby’s a great fighter and a tough guy, but I truly believe I’m one of the best in the world right now. I truly, truly believe that, so I’m going to make it look easy in there.”
Hughes said he’s grateful to have his debut scheduled so soon after signing and plans to show the PFL brass it made the right decision in bringing him such a lucrative offer. He said he feels respected and appreciated in his new home and intends to deliver with spectacular showings inside the cage.
“They believed in me,” Hughes said. “They gave me a great offer and they have been absolutely incredible to deal with so far. It’s very exciting for me on all fronts to take this next step in my career with the PFL.”
