Hyped Irish prospect Paul Hughes made his Bellator debut opposite veteran scrapper Bobby King earlier tonight (Sat. June 22, 2024) from inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. After a competitive first round, Hughes destroyed his opponent with a series of elbows.
Despite the excellent finish, it wasn’t the easiest win for the longtime Cage Warriors veteran. King came to scrap, and the two stood toe-to-toe for much of the first round. Hughes probably still had the edge in the action, but the chance of an upset and spoiled debut seemed plausible.
A takedown early in the second drastically changed the flow of the fight. King had been on the front foot, but suddenly he was rendered defensive. He wasn’t able to control Hughes’ posture, and the prospect was able to unleash a vicious barrage of ground strikes that forced the referee to intervene.
Check out the highlight clip below:
VICIOUS GROUND AND POUND!
Paul Hughes stops Bobby King via second round TKO in his Bellator debut! #BellatorDublin | LIVE NOW on MAX
https://t.co/Dpuq4Xv6Jh pic.twitter.com/B2BbCtlGPZ— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 22, 2024
It’s a stylish debut from Hughes, who may well represent the future of Irish MMA. Even better is the fact that Conor McGregor was in attendance, cheering on the young fighter and applauding his victory. I wouldn’t yet call it a passing of the torch moment, but that’s how stars begin to form.
For complete Bellator Dublin results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.