Latest news with #PFLEurope
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFL makes international events available in U.S. with new app
PFL makes international events available in U.S. with new app The PFL is making it easy for American fight fans to watch its international events. On Thursday, the promotion announced the launch of a new PFL app where all international events – PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa, PFL Pacific – will be available live in the U.S. 'We're putting the power directly in the hands of MMA fans,' PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. 'For the first time ever, fans in the U.S. can watch PFL MENA, PFL Europe, PFL Africa, and PFL Pacific live and free, all in one place. The PFL app is a major investment in our global league strategy and in delivering a deeper, more connected and centralized experience for our fans.' These are the first international events that will be available on the PFL app: PFL MENA, July 4 at noon ET from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia PFL Europe, July 5 at 11 a.m. ET from Brussels, Belgium PFL Africa on July 19 at 10:30 a.m. ET from Cape Town, South Africa The inaugural PFL Africa event on July 19 is slated to feature a slough of notable names, including Bellator champion Johnny Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis, 2024 PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba, former Bellator champion A.J. McKee vs. Akhmed Magomedov, and Bellator champion Corey Anderson vs. Denis Goltsov. The PFL app is available at the Apple and Google Play stores.
Arab News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
MMA night comes to end as Paul Hughes finishes opponent in less than a minute
Belfast: A blistering performance by hometown hero Paul 'Big News' Hughes, who needed just 42 seconds to dispatch Bruno 'Robusto' Miranda in the main event, brought the curtain down on the PFL Europe card at the SSE Arena in Belfast. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The crowd erupted as Hughes entered the SmartCage, escorted by a live performance from Irish singer Foy Vance. He made good on his pre-fight promise, catching Miranda's kick and countering with a perfectly-timed left hook that ended the contest instantly and sent the Belfast crowd into raptures. In the co-main event, reigning PFL Europe bantamweight champion Lewis 'The McGrizzla' McGrillen solidified his status as the division's hottest prospect. The Manchester fighter overwhelmed veteran Alan 'Super Ali' Philpott with aggressive striking before securing a slick rear naked choke in the second round — the first submission victory of his career. The card also featured the opening round of the 2025 PFL Europe Lightweight Tournament, with four fighters advancing to the semifinals. Connor Hughes delivered a statement win over Sebastian Di Franco, knocking out the 2024 finalist in the second round with a clean right hand. Spain's Gino Van Steenis advanced via unanimous decision over Decky McAleenan and will now meet Hughes in the semifinals. Latvia's Alex Chizov stunned Mark Ewen with a dominant first-round stoppage, overwhelming his opponent with a barrage of left hands. He moves on to face Italy's Claudio Pacella, who earned a gritty decision victory over Gavin Hughes in a bruising three-round encounter. Elsewhere on the card, Haider 'Darth' Khan extended his winning streak to six with a unanimous decision over Sean McCormac in a catchweight bout. Eoin Sheridan electrified the local crowd with a first-round KO against Malichi Edwards, while Corey McLaughlin picked up his first professional win with a unanimous decision over Nahom Wedi. In the women's flyweight division, Gemma Auld — balancing a full-time teaching career — submitted Sammy-Jo Luxton in the second round with a textbook rear naked choke, showing grit and composure in a back-and-forth battle.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PFL Europe 1 video: Paul Hughes starches Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds
Paul Hughes' homecoming couldn't have gone any better. In the main event of 2025 PFL Europe 1: Belfast, Hughes (14-2) faced Bruno Miranda in a lightweight bout at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The fight was over in just 42 seconds. Hughes, who trains out of Belfast's Fight Academy Ireland, started the fight by putting pressure on Miranda (17-6), looking for an opening. Miranda offered a left kick to the midsection, which Hughes caught with his left hand. Hughes then pulled the leg down, and immediately came up with a left hook, catching Miranda flush on the chin. Miranda fell to the canvas, and Hughes swarmed for the finish with big hammerfists. A couple of seconds later, the fight was over, sending Belfast into a frenzied celebration of Hughes' first-round TKO. Check out video of the finish below (via X): 42 SECONDS IS ALL IT TOOK 😱WHAT A HOMECOMING FOR PAUL HUGHES!#PFLBelfast | LIVE NOW — PFL (@PFLMMA) May 10, 2025 With the win, Hughes, 28, successfully returns to the win column following a majority decision loss in a title fight against Usman Nurmagomedov in January. His goal ever since that moment has been to get that fight back, as he believes he can get the job done to become the lightweight champion. Miranda, 34, failed to keep the momentum going after a split decision win over Patricky Freire last June. The Brazilian lightweight is now 1-3 over his last four fights, a rough stretch that followed a seven-fight winning streak. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 2025 PFL Europe 1 video: Paul Hughes TKOs Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PFL Europe 1 video: Paul Hughes starches Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds
Paul Hughes' homecoming couldn't have gone any better. In the main event of 2025 PFL Europe 1: Belfast, Hughes (14-2) faced Bruno Miranda in a lightweight bout at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The fight was over in just 42 seconds. Hughes, who trains out of Belfast's Fight Academy Ireland, started the fight by putting pressure on Miranda (17-6), looking for an opening. Miranda offered a left kick to the midsection, which Hughes caught with his left hand. Hughes then pulled the leg down, and immediately came up with a left hook, catching Miranda flush on the chin. Miranda fell to the canvas, and Hughes swarmed for the finish with big hammerfists. A couple of seconds later, the fight was over, sending Belfast into a frenzied celebration of Hughes' first-round TKO. Check out video of the finish below (via X): 42 SECONDS IS ALL IT TOOK 😱WHAT A HOMECOMING FOR PAUL HUGHES!#PFLBelfast | LIVE NOW — PFL (@PFLMMA) May 10, 2025 With the win, Hughes, 28, successfully returns to the win column following a majority decision loss in a title fight against Usman Nurmagomedov in January. His goal ever since that moment has been to get that fight back, as he believes he can get the job done to become the lightweight champion. Miranda, 34, failed to keep the momentum going after a split decision win over Patricky Freire last June. The Brazilian lightweight is now 1-3 over his last four fights, a rough stretch that followed a seven-fight winning streak. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 2025 PFL Europe 1 video: Paul Hughes TKOs Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds
The Herald Scotland
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Scots MMA star Mark Ewen targeting PFL Europe tournament crown
Being selected to compete in this year's PFL Europe lightweight tournament – three fights to become champion and earn $100,000 – is as good as it gets, then, for athletes more accustomed to taking it, to adapt the old cliché, one fight at a time. Ewen's star is on the rise and the undefeated Edinburgh-based fighter believes this competition provides both the opportunity and the stability he needs as he looks to foster an already burgeoning reputation. The first part of his hoped-for trilogy of contests takes place in Belfast tonight, with the other two bouts scheduled for elsewhere in Europe later in the year. The cash prize will, of course, come in handy for this father of two-year-old daughter, Rue, but it is the chance to plan ahead and work towards a bigger goal that holds most appeal for the 26-year-old. 'This game, MMA, there's always that uncertainty,' confirms the Higher Level regular. 'You never know when you're fighting or who you're fighting. But now seeing who I'm fighting, when I'm going to fight, all the dates, all the places and that all kind of thing pencilled in, it's brilliant. 'It's not like football where you know when the season starts and when you're playing. So to have a schedule, it feels nice, it's a bit refreshing. I can actually book a family holiday and work around it. 'All I need to do is make sure I turn up in the best shape possible and I'm excited for that. I've always wanted this opportunity. As soon as I signed for PFL, I had my eyes on the tournament and now I've finally got the opportunity to go in and grasp it so that's what I plan on doing. 'The 100K would be nice, don't get me wrong! I've envisioned winning that. But that doesn't mean anything. You need to go and win these fights each step at a time. "I want three fights, three big wins against good opposition, finishing the year 9-1 with top level wins and great performances each time. That's the plan, just put on really good performances each time, level up each and every fight and just show that I'm truly on another level. 'And at the end the icing on the cake will be the 100K and the gold belt but it's not what I'm aiming for. It's the fights and the competition and the performances that I'm focused on.' Standing in the Scot's way in Belfast tonight will be Alex Chizov, the two-time European champion from Latvia. He's someone Ewen was meant to be fighting last year until it fell through so he's done his homework. 'I've prepared for him before, I know exactly what it takes to beat him and I know I can beat him,' he adds with typical confidence. 'This is his third shot at the PFL tournament so I'm under no illusion that he's going to come in hungry. This is probably his last chance so his is going to be the best Chizov we're going to see. That's exactly what I want, that's what I need and that's what I'm preparing for. 'I'm going to go in there and put it on him, get stuck in, finish him and put on a real masterclass to show the level I'm at.' Ewen did exactly that in his last fight in September at Glasgow's Hydro when he showed he can choke as well as strike after forcing Yassin Chtatou to tap out in the first round. 'I wanted to go in and show that I could grapple, because I know I can grapple with the best of them,' he recalled. 'And I went and did that. Then obviously just soaking up the win with it being in Glasgow and the Hydro – I had envisioned that for years, with my teammates. "I was literally on a high for about two to three weeks after. You get a high after every fight but never for as long as that. That was a real special one, that'll stay with me for the rest of my life I believe.' MMA fans can watch Mark Ewen fight at PFL Europe Belfast from 5pm exclusively on DAZN
