Fighters are often criticized for not putting financial interests first in their MMA careers, but such an accusation cannot be made against Irish up-and-comer Paul Hughes.
Hughes (11-1), a former Cage Warriors champion, just went through the free agency process and received bids from both the UFC and PFL. He chose the latter, which surprised some, but it wasn't much of an argument for Hughes.
“As time goes on, I'm getting more and more happy with this decision,” Hughes told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I've been fighting in Cage Warriors for a long time, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to test free agency. …In fact, I started communicating with the PFL six months ago this past year. I had an offer from them, but I couldn't get out of my contract with Cage Warriors at the time. So I couldn't enjoy it. But the offer was there.
“That offer changed things for me. It took me six months to basically make this decision if this was the path I wanted to take. I had a lot of time to think about it. …The main driver of that was the million dollar tournament that I'm going to compete in. I'm 27 years old and if I had the opportunity to have a million dollars in the bank, I think I'd do pretty well. The fighters need to be as effective as possible in this match. It's that simple. The last thing I want is to dedicate my life to this game and end up with no money. I don't want to be the kind of person who comes back from my side.”
Why PFL and not UFC?
Hughes acknowledged that the free agency process earned him an offer from the UFC. He could also make his Octagon debut on the same card at UFC 303 that sees the return of Irish superstar Conor McGregor, and it was all tantalizing.
But once Hughes sat down with his team and thoroughly considered the positives and negatives, he kept coming back to maximizing his position. In that sense, the package presented by PFL was difficult to resist.
“Of course I had an offer from the UFC,” Hughes said. “I'm here carving my own path, on my own journey, building a new journey for myself. But I'm also looking forward to seeing the potential of this growing star through this game. Even for young fighters with secrets, you don't always have to just follow the path you're told, when you're bringing value to the table where you probably won't be getting paid for it in the early stages of your career. Why do I have to fight for years before I start making money?
“I understand that if you're a young up-and-coming fighter and you've had six, seven, eight fights and you don't have a name for yourself and you've never won a title outside of an organization, you should go down that path. ” Potentially. But not many fighters come out the other side of this fight with money in the bank. And the value that I bring to this game, my game, this sport and the atmosphere and emotion that I bring, I should be compensated for that. I believe in bringing something different to the table. ”
Ahead of Bellator Champion Series debut
It's clear from the get-go that PFL views Hughes positively. Just days after his contract was officially announced, the promotion booked him on the Dublin card for the Bellator Champions Series to be held at 3Arena on June 22nd.
This may be the last time Hughes gets a chance to play at home for several years, as he plans to play multiple times in the $1 million PFL season starting next year. But he's happy to keep his act going, starting with a co-main event matchup with Bobby King (12-6) before his next year begins.
“We knew this Dublin card was going to be a thing,” Hughes said. “I asked for Patricky Pitbull, I asked for Peter Qualley. Those were the names I was spitting out. They couldn't make it, but I said, 'Give us the fiercest match you can.' Please play a match with the greatest name value possible.” They loved hearing that, but they said, “Look, this guy's here for you. He's accepted the fight, so let's get the ball rolling.”
“Bobby is a great fighter and a tough guy, but I truly believe he's one of the best in the world right now. I'm going to make it look easy there because I truly believe that. ”
Hughes said he was grateful to be scheduled to make his debut so soon after signing and was determined to show PFL leaders that they had made the right decision in making such a big offer. He said he feels respected and appreciated in his new home and wants to perform well inside the cage.
“They believed in me,” Hughes said. “They made me a great offer and have treated me really well so far. Taking the next step in my career with PFL is very exciting on all fronts.”
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