Veteran fighter Bruno Miranda is set to face Irish standout Paul Hughes in the main event of PFL Europe`s inaugural card of the year on May 10th. Interestingly, Miranda has a unique connection to Hughes, having observed him train years before Hughes turned professional.
Hughes rose to prominence as the Cage Warriors champion before signing with Bellator, where he defeated AJ McKee Jr. He later competed under the PFL banner, losing a very close majority decision to champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Miranda, known as “Robusto,” a seasoned competitor with 22 MMA bouts and dozens of kickboxing and muay thai matches, had followed Hughes`s career. It was then that friends pointed out their past shared experience training in Thailand.
Miranda, who has lived in Phuket for over a decade, remembers watching Hughes train at the renowned Tiger Muay Thai gym in 2016, at a time when the Irish talent was still an amateur MMA fighter.
“I remember we were training at the same gym, Tiger, and he was quite young,” Miranda shared. “I’m happy to be fighting him now; he`s someone I admire. I got to see his growth, so it’s an honor to be doing this main event against him in Ireland, a fight nation like Brazil.”
Hughes’s profile surged even further after his disputed loss to Nurmagomedov in January, a fight many believe he won. With fans calling for an immediate rematch, Miranda views this upcoming bout as “a huge opportunity.” While he doesn`t necessarily expect an upset win to automatically guarantee him a lightweight title shot, he acknowledges it would significantly change how the MMA community perceives him.
“He’s had a solid career so far, and his last fight was great,” Miranda commented. “I personally think he won, but that’s how it is. I’m here to break the odds, to upset the favorites. It truly is an honor; I respect him and the entire Irish nation. I’m going there with the utmost respect, ready to bring the fire and get the victory.”
“I plan to be a difficult challenge for him,” he added. “I have no expectations for after this fight; I’m not looking past anything. My focus is on being a tough opponent and securing the win. A title shot might be possible down the line, but I prefer to take things step by step. Whatever comes next is a bonus. The main goal is to defeat him. I’ll be happy with whatever PFL offers me after.”
Miranda is coming off a decision victory against former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull in his most recent fight in June 2024, bouncing back from consecutive defeats to PFL champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier and former Bellator titleholder Brent Primus. He intends to put Hughes’s striking defense to the test when they meet at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
“Every fight is unique, and the match-ups are always different,” Miranda stated. “I can’t compare myself directly to his last opponent because our styles are different, but he’s the type of fighter that puts pressure, and I love that. I’m an aggressive fighter at all times, and I want to see how he deals with the pressure of facing a real striker like myself.”
Wesley Dunham