REPORT | AJ McKee vs. Paul Hughes targeted for upcoming PFL PPV card

Former Bellator titleholder AJ McKee will reportedly return to the cage against surging star Paul Hughes in October.

MMA Fighting‘s Mike Heck was among the first to report the news of McKee vs. Hughes.

McKee returns to fighting for the first time since a first-round win over Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator in February. He’s won four consecutive fights since losing the Bellator featherweight title to Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire at Bellator 277 in their rematch.

McKee returns to lightweight for a three-round matchup against Hughes. Since making the full-time move up a division to lightweight, he’s earned recent wins over Spike Carlyle and Roberto de Souza.

McKee could potentially earn a Bellator lightweight title shot with an impressive performance against Hughes. Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will return next month against Alexander Shabliy.

AJ McKee vs. Paul Hughes targeted for Francis Ngannou PFL card

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes is targeted for the PFL PPV in October, per multiple sources. First reported by @MagicM_MMABets. Story coming to MMA Fighting.

— Mike Heck (@MikeHeck_JR) August 13, 2024

Hughes, who has won six straight fights, will make his second appearance under the Bellator/PFL banner. He won his Bellator debut back in June against Bobby King by second-round TKO.

Hughes made a name for himself in Cage Warriors before signing with Bellator/PFL in free agency. He was expected to be on the UFC’s radar but opted to sign elsewhere after receiving an alleged lowball offer.

After a split decision loss to Jordan Vucenic in 2020, Hughes won the interim featherweight title over Morgan Charriere at Cage Warriors 128. He defeated Vucenic in their rematch for the lineal featherweight title.

The October 19th PFL Super Fights card is headlined by a clash between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira. This is Ngannou’s PFL debut and his first MMA fight since Jan. 2022.

McKee vs. Hughes isn’t the only intriguing fight on the undercard. Cris Cyborg also returns to face two-time PFL title winner Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event.