PFL star Paul Hughes rips into Paddy Pimblett after UFC contender let 'true character show' in bus battle with Caolan Loughran
09/20/2024 10:37 AM
Top PFL prospect Paul Hughes has hit out at his fellow Cage Warriors alum Paddy Pimblett after a bus altercation saw the former featherweight champions ignite a feud.
Pimblett was heading to the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 304 in July when he got into a war of words with newly-signed bantamweight Caolan Loughran towards the end of the trip. The Liverpool native was apparently mocking Hughes, who is a close friend of Loughran’s, which led to the back-and-forth.
Footage of the incident was captured on multiple cameras, and Hughes has since taken aim at his fellow lightweight. And the pair nearly came head-to-head in London last weekend at a Bellator show that the Irishman was attending to promote his upcoming fight with AJ McKee.
- Who is Paddy Pimblett?Get to know the 'baddy' of MMA who is making his presence felt in UFC
Paddy Pimblett has heated argument with Caolan Loughran following Paul Hughes dig
In the hours leading up to ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of Paddy Pimblett’s last fight, footage emerged of an incident between he and Caolan Loughran. The pair were both fighting on UFC 304, and were on the same bus traveling to the Co-Op Live Arena for the final pre-show event.
Pimblett could be seen arguing with Loughran, and claiming that Paul Hughes had “went to PFL because he couldn’t get signed to the UFC.” This claim appears to be false, with many sources indicating that Hughes had an offer to sign with the sport’s top promotion but took a bigger guaranteed money offer.
Loughran appears to mention the fact that Hughes had, in fact, had an offer, to which Pimblett replied “they turned him down because they don’t like him because he’s f***ing s***e, the f***ing little bum, he’s a f***ing clown, just like you, you f***ing little nit.”
Loughran then made the claim that Hughes, who just like Pimblett has held Cage Warriors gold at featherweight, would ‘slap the head off” the Scouse fighter.
Paul Hughes slams Paddy Pimblett as he claims rival has shown his ‘true character’
Hughes was recently in London to appear at the Bellator Champions Series event at Wembley’s OVO Arena. He was in attendance to help promote his upcoming fight with AJ McKee on the undercard of Francis Ngannou’s comeback fight against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia next month.
Pimblett had also been slated to attend, with plans to corner or support teammate Leah McCourt. And while he didn’t end up appearing, Hughes still took the chance to let his feelings about the Scouse fighter be known.
“I think what went down was that he had said something about [Jordan] Vucenic getting signed,” Hughes explained in an exclusive chat with Bloody Elbow. “He said something like ‘yeah, Paul Hughes didn’t get signed, he’s f***ing s***e.
“So Caolan Loughran stood up and said ‘Paul Hughes would punch the head off you,’ which is fair play to the Don. That’s my guy, a fellow Irishman sticking up for me. But that’s just what Pimblett is like, he’s a s***ebag as I once said.
“That’s kind of his true character coming through, I’ve seen him for years around the shows and it just doesn’t seem like he has the best attitude. It is what it is.”
- Who is Dana White? All you need to know about the CEO and President of the UFC
