Irish star Paul Hughes finds PFL Europe’s first card against Bruno Miranda, who saw him take action before becoming a profighter on May 10th.
Hughes rose to stardom as the Cage Warriors champion before signing a contract with Bellator, beating AJ McKee Jr. and losing a majority decision very close to champion Usmannur Magomedov under the PFL banner. “Robust” Miranda, a veteran of 22 MMA matches and dozens of kickboxing and Muay Thai matches, saw Hughes’ success under the same banner. And that’s when his friend realised that Hughes and Miranda once shared the same mat in Thailand.
Miranda has lived in Phuket for over a decade and remembers Hughes watching the train there in 2016 when Ireland’s talent was still an amateur MMA fighter.
“I remember we were on the same training at Tiger. He was pretty young,” Miranda told MMA Fighting. “I’m happy to be able to fight him now. I admire him. I was able to see him grow, so it’s an honor to have this main event against him in Ireland, a fighting country like Brazil.”
Hughes’ hype only grew after the defeat contested by Nurmagomedov in January. Fans are looking for a rematch soon, so Miranda sees this as a “big opportunity for me.” The Brazilian talent doesn’t think it will set him automatically for shots on a lightweight belt, but it definitely changes the way the MMA community sees it.
“He had a solid career and his final fight was great,” Miranda said. “I think he won, but that’s it. I’m here to break the odds and break the favorites. It’s a real honor and I respect him and (the whole Irish people).
“I’m going to be the thorns on his side,” he continued. “After this fight, I’m not expecting. I haven’t seen anything, but I want to be the thorn on his side.
Miranda will win the decision against former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull in a recent match in June 2024, rebounding against PFL champion Olivier Aubin Mercier and former Bellator title holder Brent Primus from a back-to-back defeat, testing Hughes’ strike at SSE Arena in Belfast.
“The fight is a fight, and every matchup is unique,” Miranda said. “I can’t compare myself to his final fight because of his different style, but he’s the type of fighter that puts pressure on me. I love it. I’ve always been an aggressive fighter and I want to see how he handles the pressure of being with a real striker in front of him.”