PFL has started to roll out the lineups for its third annual European season.
The full roster for PFL Europe’s lightweight bracket was revealed Friday, continuing a single-elimination tournament that the spin-off promotion has run since its first season in 2023.
It’s expected that three other weight classes will receive eight-fighter brackets as well, although no other divisions have been revealed thus far.
The upcoming eight-man bracket will be without Polish vet Jakub Kaszuba, who dominated the 155-pound division in past years of the PFL Europe tour. However, returning to the bracket will be 2024 finalist Connor Hughes, who had his solid tournament run stopped by Kaszuba via a fourth-round finish when they met last December.
Other returning PFL Europe names include Aleksandr Chizov, Claudio Pacella, and Mark Ewen. Both Pacella and Ewen had only previously appeared in PFL showcase fights, making their upcoming appearance a first-time run in a tournament by the promotion.
Newcomers to the series include Cage Warriors vet Irish Decky McAleenan, Dutch former Levels Fight League prospect Gino Van Steenis, plus ex-Bellator fighter and regional vet Gavin Hughes.
Earlier this week, it was announced that lightweight star Paul Hughes will headline PFL Europe’s May 10th card against Bruno Mianda. The show will be a homecoming for “Big News,” who is from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Here’s the full lineup for PFL Europe’s SSE Arena card, where the opening round of lightweight action is expected to take place:
Bout 5: Paul Hughes (13-2) vs. Bruno Miranda (17-5) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Connor Hughes (10-2) vs. Sebastien Di Franco (10-3) (Lightweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 3: Mark Ewen (6-1) vs. Aleksandr Chizov (10-3) (Lightweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 2: Claudio Pacella (5-2) vs. Gavin Hughes (11-4) (Lightweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 1: Decky McAleenan (9-5-1) vs. Gino van Steenis (5-1) (Lightweight Quarter-Final)
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