‘I’m the king coming through’ - Unbeaten Liverpool MMA fighter Connor Hughes to make PFL debut

“Calculated, measured, violent and destructive.”

Those are the four words that rising MMA fighter Connor Hughes used to describe himself when LiverpoolWorld sat down with the 26-year-old Scouser ahead of his Professional Fighters League debut on June 8. Merseyside has championed the likes of Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann and Darren Till for their successes in the Octagon in recent years - but now, there may be a new contender ready to emerge.

Hughes is set to make his PFL debut in Berlin, as part of an eight-man lightweight tournament. For those who are uninitiated in the parameters of the new franchise, the PFL was set up in 2018 to rival the UFC by offering a different competition format in which they compete in seasons rather than on a year-round basis.

It also gives fighters the opportunity to take home $1million for winning the world title in their weight-class. Furthermore, fans may recognise the PFL as it’s the same company in which the YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul signed a contract to head up their pay-per-view division. Essentially, there are opportunities aplenty in this rapidly growing organisation.

And his first opportunity comes against Irishman Dylan Tuke (5-3), a fight in which he is the bookies’ favourite. Hughes proclaimed, as all fighters do, that he’s had the best camp of his life and he’s fully ready to perform, but being on weight a week out confirmed it’s true and he’s ready to steal the show in Germany.

“It’s the dream, I’ve literally been sitting thinking about this since I was a kid,” the man from Dovecot told LiverpoolWorld. “To finally be on a platform like PFL, travelling the world and making money from it, it’s the dream. It’s only the start as well, I’ve only been a pro for two years and I do think it’s the start of something special and I can’t wait to get in there and show what I’m about. I don’t think any of this has happened by accident, I think it’s meant to be and I think it will show on July 8.”

Fighting has always been second-nature for Hughes; it’s been a family endeavour that began with his karate champion grandad and was passed on to his uncle and mother. It’s a ‘family thing’, says Hughes.

“My whole family was pretty much fighting before me, my grandad started me off, he was national karate champion, got his own gym and got my mum and uncle into it - they both became British, European and World Champions, and at the age of three, I pretty much just jumped in and started getting involved and became British, European and World Champion - it’s just a family thing. Other families like football and that but ours is just fighting. As soon as I learned to walk I was just straight in there.”

Hughes went on to enjoy a strong amateur career in MMA, becoming British champion. Prior to that, he was a champion in kickboxing. He puts his swift rise to an unbeaten record of seven wins and zero losses down to his vast experience of jumping in the deep end, revealing he has implored other fights in the famed Liverpool MMA academy to do the same in their amateur careers.

Even just walking around the gym with Connor, you could see the admiration, support and respect from other fighters of all levels of experience - with many stopping to have a quick joke before wishing him luck ahead of the upcoming bout. Of course, a victory on July 8 would help shine a light on the gym and Liverpool’s MMA scene, something Hughes was extremely passionate about.

“Liverpool is a fighting city, the talent within the city it’s massive. You go to the local shows in the Olympia or down the road in Bolton and it’s full of great prospects coming through. I think UK MMA is just going to get even bigger. I think you’re going to hear a lot from fighters coming through this gym, but also just in Liverpool in general.”

Even casual fans will know the renowned fighting trio of Paddy ‘the Baddy’, ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann and Darren ‘The Gorilla’ Till and whilst people may be quick to make comparisons, Hughes insists he is ready to build his own legacy. Past fighters may have opened the doors and created the pathways for fighters like Hughes to walk down. He may not be as outspoken as those other three, but he knows where he wants to go.

“Them two, Darren Till, they put Liverpool MMA on the map. They did their own thing, Paddy was Cage Warriors World Champion, so was Molly, Till burst onto the scene coming back from Brazil - it’s good for the city, it opens doors for the people coming through.

“I’m on my own path, I want to raise the bar higher than all of them, no disrespect to them. I’m sure they’ll go on to do great things and continue to do so, but I’m going to make my own legacy. I want to go down as one of the best to ever do it, my plans are big and I’m only just starting, we’re only two years into the pro game, imagine three, four, five years down the line.”

All of those dreams and goals for the future begin this week. An eye-catching performance on the big stage can do wonders for a fighter’s career and with six wins inside the distance so far, a seventh in eight fights would certainly enhance his already growing reputation.

“I’m the next one coming through, I’m the winner of this tournament. This is my division, and I can’t wait to finally be where I feel I like I should be. This is my show now and I’m the king coming through.”