The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced that Ireland’s Paul Hughes (11-1) will make his promotional debut against Hawaii’s Bobby King (12-6) in a Lightweight bout on Saturday, June 22 at Bellator Champions Series at 3Arena in Dublin.
Bellator Champions Series Dublin is headlined by Welterweight World Champion Jason Jackson (18-4) facing undefeated Ramazan Kuramagomedov (12-0), and the must-see fight card also features a Women’s Featherweight clash between two former title challengers, when Ireland’s Sinead Kavanagh (9-6) takes on Australia’s Arlene Blencowe (15-10). A Bantamweight No. 1 contender matchup is also on the docket, as Kasum Kasumov (15-1) of Russia goes toe-to-toe with Brazil’s Matheus Mattos (14-2-1). At Middleweight, undefeated Hungarian Norbert Novenyi Jr. (7-0) will look to remain undefeated when he faces American Top Team’s Dalton Rosta (8-1). A previously announced contest pitting Peter Queally against Yancy Medeiros has been scrapped from the card.
Bellator Champions Series Dublin will stream live in the U.S. on Max, and in the U.K. on DAZN beginning at 5 pm GMT, while locally in the Republic of Ireland, the event will be aired on Virgin Media Television. "The following week, truTV will re-air Bellator Champions Series Dublin for U.S. viewers, with additional programming details to be shared in the coming weeks. Tickets for the event can be purchased now through Ticketmaster.ie.
At 27-years-old, Hughes accomplished everything possible on the regional stage before entering free agency, and was sought after by every major mixed martial arts promotion on the planet before choosing to join PFL. A former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion prior to making the leap to Lightweight, Hughes has won eight of his 11 professional wins via stoppage and now will try his hand against Bobby King when he competes on June 22. A six-fight veteran of Bellator, King proudly hails from Hawaii and has faced some of the toughest tests Bellator’s Lightweight division has to offer, facing names the likes of Alexander Shabliy and Gadzhi Rabadanov.
The 2024 Bellator Champions Series schedule is as follows:
- Friday, May 17 – Bellator Champions Series Paris – Accor Arena
- Saturday, June 22 – Bellator Champions Series Dublin – 3Arena
- Saturday, September 7 – Bellator Champions Series San Diego – Pechanga Arena
- Saturday, September 14 – Bellator Champions Series London – OVO Wembley
- Saturday, October 12 – Bellator Champions Series Chicago – Wintrust Arena
- Saturday, November 16 – Bellator Champions Series Paris – ADIDAS Arena
- Tuesday, December 31 – Bellator Champions Series – TBD
Updated Bellator Champions Series Dublin Main Card:
Max (U.S.) | DAZN (U.K.) | Virgin Media Television (Republic of Ireland)
Saturday, June 22 - 5 pm GMT
Welterweight World Title Bout: C-Jason Jackson (18-4) vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov (12-0)
Lightweight Bout: Paul Hughes (11-1) vs. Bobby King (12-6)
Women’s Featherweight Bout: Sinead Kavanagh (9-6) vs. Arlene Blencowe (15-10)
Middleweight Bout: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (7-0) vs. Dalton Rosta (8-1)
Bantamweight No. 1 Contender Bout: Kasum Kasumov (15-1) vs. Matheus Mattos (14-2-1)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Simeon Powell (9-1) vs. Abdullah Er-Ramy (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Brian Moore (16-10) vs. Francesco Nuzzi (10-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Sarvarjon Khamidov (15-0) vs. Marcirley Alves (12-3)
Featherweight Bout: Nathan Kelly (10-2) vs. Fabacary Diatta (9-1)
Women’s Featherweight Bout: Olena Kolesnyk (9-6) vs. Sara Collins (5-0)
Women’s Featherweight Bout: Michelle Montague (4-0) vs. Karolina Sobek (4-2)
Prior to the Professional Fighters League's industry shaping acquisition of Bellator in November of 2023, Bellator held 301 events building a recognized worldwide roster of elite talent. In re-imagining Bellator, the PFL will continue the commitment of investing in athletes from underserved regions while continuing to add global stars to the roster.
PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next- generation viewing experience.
