Paul Hughes rocks the SSE Arena with astonishing rapid-fire KO
With the weight of a nation on his shoulders, Paul Hughes stepped into the cage at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Saturday night with everything to lose.
The Derry native pushed Bellator Champion Usman Nurmagomedov all the way in their Lightweight title bout in January, a bout which many felt Hughes was unfortunate not to be awarded the win by decision.
28-year-old Hughes could well have sat on the sidelines and waited for the inevitable rematch to be made. Instead, he put it all on the line as he took on the dangerous Bruno Miranda in front of a sold-out, febrile crowd on the bank of the Langan.
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The decibel levels rose to a near unbelievable level when he made his entrance a little after 10pm this evening. Hughes has had his Irish identity controversially questioned by Conor McGregor in recent times, comments which well and truly united both sides of the community in the North and that backing was on full display as he strode to the cage.
During his prolonged entrance to the ring there were shades of Katie Taylor's homecoming entrance against Chantelle Cameron in May 2023. Grace was sung live before his full entrance began, and like Taylor, it appeared for a moment as though he was taking in the emotion of the moment too much.
42 seconds later, he was having his hand raised after dropping Bruno Miranda to the turf and finishing him with hammer fists.
Many would have crumbled, but Hughes rose to a level that many didn't think he had in him. It was a bout reminiscent to McGregor's one with Jose Aldo all those years ago. Only one thing happened in the fight: A stoppage of astonishing brutality.
Throughout the week, Nurmagomedov's name wasn't far from Hughes' lips. Moments after getting on the microphone in the cage this evening, Hughes called for the rematch.
"He can run, he can hide, but his day is coming."
With a performance like that, perhaps Hughes truly is undeniable.
There have been plenty of big fight nights on this island in the past and there will be surely more to come, with Hughes set to lead the charge as Irish MMA continues to punch above its weight and shock the world.
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