Hughes eyes McGregor's former MMA title and UFC path

On Friday night in London, Paul Hughes will look to claim the Cage Warriors featherweight title once held by Conor McGregor when he faces Jordan Vucenic, which he believes will be his final act before signing for the UFC.

The Derry man has lofty goals.

Currently Cage Warriors interim 145-pound champion, after unifying the titles on Friday night, the Fight Academy Ireland product plans to launch a bid to become a global superstar with the world's flagship MMA promotion.

He wants the country to shut down when he fights, have thousands boarding flights to the US when he challenges for UFC gold. He desires the respect, the notoriety, the adoration and everything that comes with it.

It’s not a unique goal from a promising upcoming Irish fighter.

Yet, when you consider everything he has been through to reach this moment, it’s difficult to doubt the 24-year-old prospect.

Despite launching his pro-career on the same night as a huge domestic clash between Norman Parke and Paul Redmond in 2017, Hughes put on a showcase performance that put the scene on notice.

At 19, he looked like a child compared to his 28-year-old opponent, Adam Gustab. When the bell rung, Hughes put his experienced foe through a wood chipper of strikes to claim a first-round finish.

"To get that spectacular finish and performance in my professional debut, in the biggest arena in Belfast, and then for it to go viral…I kind of said to myself, 'Oh yeah, you can do this’. It was a special night, for sure," recalls Hughes.

Shortly after the contest, Hughes was devastated to discover a break in his left hand - collateral damage from the frenzied flurry he served Gustab.

After recovering and returning to training, he suffered a further setback when he broke his right hand. Two