MMA star Paul Hughes was greeted by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo after securing the biggest win of his career.
The Irishman claimed a shock win on the undercard of Francis Ngannou’s MMA return at at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo was in attendance to watch Ngannou make his MMA comebackAFP
Ngannou headlined the night with a first-round stoppage win over Renan Ferreira, two years after his last appearance in the cage.
The former UFC heavyweight champion was expected to win, and Conor McGregor lost $500,000 by backing him to lose, but there was one upset on the undercard.
Against the odds, Irish fighter Hughes defeated former Bellator MMA 145lbs champion AJ McKee.
Hughes dropped McKee with a right hook in the first round and landed a huge flying knee in a dominant display.
With both men still standing after three rounds, the judges scored the fight 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in favour of Hughes, moving his record to 13-1.
Watching ringside was none other than five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.
The Portugal icon, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, posed for a picture alongside Hughes after the bout.
The Irishman shared the photo on Instagram and wrote: “Cherry on top there. Great to meet you @cristiano.”
Ronaldo is a known fan of MMA, often attending combat events alongside UFC legend McGregor.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ronaldo even admitted he prefers MMA to boxing.
Hughes was not shying away from the big names on Saturday – and he called out Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov after his victory.
Speaking in the cage, he said: “We want to see Ireland v Dagestan.
“We want to see Paul Hughes v Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title. Let’s go!”
