We’d just passed the halfway mark of Round 2 in this PFL Europe Lightweight Championship quarterfinal.
Sebastien Di Franco had dropped the opening round—there wasn’t much debate about it. He’d been backed up and stalked by Connor Hughes from the first bell.
His lead leg took the brunt of the damage, chewed up by Hughes’ precise calf kicks.
Di Franco’s southpaw stance had been used against him, as Connor cut angles and picked him off at will.
The tide was turning, though. Di Franco knew he needed to change things up.
In Round 2, the Belgian made adjustments. He started to advance forward, throwing caution to the wind as he let his hands go with more intent.
Short combinations, looping lefts and rights, anything to slow the Liverpool fighter’s rhythm. And you know what? It was working…it was working well!
Until it wasn’t.
With 2:17 left on the clock, Di Franco landed a tidy overhand left. He followed up by pawing out a lazy jab. It was the last thing he’d do that night.
Hughes slipped outside and exploded back up with a long right hook that rendered Di Franco unconscious before he hit the floor.
The Belfast crowd erupted. Fight over. Statement made.
With that knockout, Connor Hughes not only books his place in the PFL Europe semifinals but also reminds everyone why he’s one of the most dangerous men in the division.
His record now moves to 11–2, with nine wins coming inside the distance.
After the fight, Connor showed the kind of class we’ve come to expect from him.
“At the end of the day, we’re martial artists, we’re people, this is what we do, but this sport is brutal,” he told Dan Hardy in the post-fight interview. “He’s just another person trying to feed his family. I have nothing but respect… but at the same time, I hope he’s OK.”
On a personal note, I’ve got to say this is now my new favourite Connor Hughes finish, replacing an earlier amateur fight where he sparked the guy out cold with a counter right hook.
Yes – that knockout was picturesque, but this one is on a bigger stage and much more skilful.
At first, I thought this Belfast KO was all about precision. You can see the laser-focus on Connor as the punch lands right on the sweet spot. This is something I’m a big advocate of, and always harp on about it to anyone who’ll listen when talking about boxing and perfect knockout punches.
But after watching an alternative camera angle from behind Connor, you can see it wasn’t just precision, it was also POWER!
You really see the sheer torque and leverage he generates. It’s immense. I spoke to head coach Jason Tan after the fight, and he confirmed it was something they’d drilled throughout camp. It’s one thing planning it. It’s another to pull it off like that.
Connor puts the hours in when no one’s watching with both head coaches Tan Man and Peter Davies. He’s one of the most dedicated lads I’ve ever worked with. That knockout doesn’t come by luck—it’s years of graft, discipline, and composure.
With this win, Connor now becomes the tournament favourite. He’s gone from boy to man in the space of a few short fights. In fact, I stumbled across an old picture of him from after a Saturday morning sparring session at the gym—and it honestly shocked me how much he’s grown, not just physically but as a fighter.
I used to do ok when I sparred with him (I wasn’t bad back in the day 😊) but this is the Connor I was sparring:-
And while Connor did the business in the cage, the MMA Academy crew who travelled with him made the most of their trip to Belfast. If you like burgers, check out the MMA Academy Instagram. Let’s just say, it wasn’t just Connor serving up beef 😉
Connor has got his work cut out for him in the semifinal of the tournament against the big Dutchman Gino van Steenis—but he gets better every fight. Expect to see the best Connor Hughes you’ve ever seen next time out.
