PFL returns to Belfast’s SSE Arena on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with local fan‑favorite Paul “Big News” Hughes (14‑3) headlining a lightweight main event against New Zealand’s Jay Jay “The Māori Kid” Wilson (11‑2). The card takes place at the SSE Arena in Northern Ireland’s capital, where Hughes previously scored a 42‑second knockout of Bruno Miranda in May 2025 during PFL’s first Belfast visit, improving his pro record to 14 wins and 3 losses.
Paul Hughes Headlines PFL Belfast Card vs Jay Jay Wilson
Hughes, who has treated Belfast as his home base for training and competition, is looking to regain momentum after two tight title‑shot outings against PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in 2025. He dropped both bouts via unanimous decision in Dubai, with the first functioning as a title‑unification‑style clash and the second a rematch that reinforced Nurmagomedov’s grip on the division. Hughes’ stoppage win over Miranda in Belfast last May gave him a sharp return to the win column and reinforced his standing as a top‑level lightweight with real finishing power.
Across the cage, Jay Jay Wilson steps in with a 13‑fight professional record of 11 wins and 2 losses, both defeats coming by decision. The New Zealand‑based lightweight has never been stopped, reflecting the toughness and resilience that line up well with PFL’s tournament‑driven style. Of his 11 wins, eight are finishes, split between four KO/TKO victories and four submission wins, giving him a balanced threat on the feet and the mat. His most recent contest was a unanimous‑decision loss to PFL No. 3‑ranked lightweight Archie Colgan, a result that cooled his run but did not take away from his reputation as a dangerous assignment.
Ticket sales for PFL Belfast open with a pre‑sale on Tuesday, February 24, at 12:00 pm GMT, followed by general sale on Wednesday, February 25, at the same time via pfl.info/belfast. The event is set for the SSE Arena on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with doors opening at 7:00 pm BST and the main card scheduled to start after midnight BST. In the United States, the preliminary card streams on the ESPN App for ESPN+ subscribers beginning at 2:30 pm ET / 11:30 am PT, while the main card moves to ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes at 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT.
The lightweight showdown carries clear stakes for both fighters. For Hughes, a win in front of his adopted home crowd would steady his standing after two close losses to Nurmagomedov and strengthen his case for another shot at the belt. For Wilson, beating a top‑four ranked lightweight like Hughes would be the biggest win of his career and could move him into the upper tier of the 155‑pound division. With Hughes’ knockout power and local support on one side and Wilson’s unbroken durability and eight‑finish record on the other, the April 16 headliner in Belfast stands out as one of PFL’s most compelling one‑off matchups in 2026.
