Paul Hughes Upsets AJ McKee with Knockdown and Split Decision Victory at PFL: Battle of the Giants

Paul Hughes Upsets AJ McKee

Paul Hughes made a massive leap from prospect to contender with his upset win over AJ McKee at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. In just his second fight with the promotion, Hughes scored a significant first-round knockdown and went on to win by split decision, cementing his place as a rising star in the lightweight division.

From the start, Hughes showcased his poise and skill, controlling much of the fight. Despite some questionable scoring, his performance left no doubt that he was the dominant fighter, particularly with his clean knockdown in the opening round. McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion, struggled to impose his usual game as Hughes consistently thwarted his takedown attempts and landed powerful strikes.

“Look what I can do! I’m a superstar,” Hughes exclaimed after the fight. “The PFL believed in me, look at me. I’m here on the world stage. I fought one of the best guys on the planet. I doubled down on myself. Who’s done that to AJ McKee? I’ll tell you what, that was not one of my best performances.”

Hughes started aggressively, avoiding McKee’s takedown attempts and almost catching him with a dangerous knee. As the two fighters scrambled, Hughes ended up in a dominant position, landing shots from above while fending off McKee's kicks from the bottom. Near the end of the first round, Hughes delivered a massive right hook that sent McKee crashing to the canvas just as the bell rang, likely saving McKee from further punishment.

In the later rounds, McKee attempted to mount a comeback, landing a few straight punches, but Hughes remained composed. Although a jumping knee from Hughes resulted in a slip, McKee couldn’t capitalize on it. As the fight progressed, McKee's energy visibly waned, while Hughes ramped up his combinations, further cementing his advantage.

By the end of the fight, Hughes had firmly established control, and the judges awarded him a split decision victory. After his win, Hughes set his sights on the PFL lightweight title, calling out reigning champion Usman Nurmagomedov for a showdown.