Hughes defeats King on Bellator debut in Dublin

Home combatant Paul Hughes started his Bellator profession pinch an awesome second-round knockout triumph complete Bobby King astatine nan 3Arena successful Dublin.

In his first Bellator conflict aft leaving Cage Warriors, Hughes took a commanding triumph against knowledgeable Hawaiian King.

Speaking aft nan 12th triumph of his career, Hughes said he believed he was going to beryllium "the champion successful nan world".

“That was nan first 1 retired of nan way. I’ve been saying for astir a twelvemonth now that I judge I americium 1 of nan champion lightweights connected nan planet, successful immoderate organisation," Hughes told Dan Hardy successful nan cage.

"I don’t deliberation I showed that tonight, truthful I’m going to beryllium successful nan gym connected Monday, hungrier than ever. I person to unrecorded up to my words.

"I don’t attraction what anyone other says, I attraction what I say, and I said I’m going to beryllium nan champion successful nan world. I person to beryllium it to myself, and I will.”

The bout sewage disconnected to an exciting, fast-paced start, pinch some men landing shots early successful nan opening round.

King nevertheless landed nan first important onslaught and dropped Hughes pinch a coagulated jab.

Hughes instantly recovered and started to push nan pace, putting King nether existent unit arsenic nan information progressed.

The 2nd information started successful a akin style to nan first, pinch some men landing explosive shots. Hughes managed to adjacent nan region and return nan American down, and from location nan penning was connected nan wall.

It was a ascendant show connected nan crushed from Hughes arsenic he landed powerful crushed and pound, opening up a immense trim connected nan correct oculus of King.

As Hughes continued to reign down elbows, nan referee stepped successful to telephone a extremity to nan contest.

It was a mixed nighttime for nan remainder of nan section fighters connected nan card, pinch Sinead Kavanagh picking up her 2nd consecutive nonaccomplishment successful a second-round submission conclusion by Australia's Arlene Blencowe.

Kavanagh landed nan mostly of nan cleaner strikes successful nan first information earlier being dropped by Blencowe late.

The 2nd information saw Blencowe push guardant and she dropped Kavanagh erstwhile again to declare her 2nd triumph against nan Dubliner pinch a guillotine finish.

Darragh Kelly moved to 6-0 arsenic a master pinch a first-round submission triumph successful his first conflict backmost since injury, against French imaginable Mathias Poiron.

It took conscionable nether ninety seconds for nan dense favourite to scramble to position, unafraid nan guillotine choke, and put his force to slumber to stay undefeated.

Finglas autochthonal Nathan Kelly picked up nan 11th triumph of his profession to day successful beforehand of nan location crowd, pinch a first information submission complete Spaniard Jose Sanchez. .

The opening bout of nan evening saw Dublin’s Nate Kelly declare nan 4th triumph of his amateur career, pinch a first information arm-bar decorativeness against Team Ryano’s Paul Nolan.