Newest MMA free agent slams Paddy Pimblett for ‘stinking attitude’, vows to beat him with one hand

Hughes won his final bout with Cage Warriors last Saturday in emphatic fashion as he knocked out Fabiano Silva in the very first round.

That fight, which took place at Cage Warriors 170 in Dublin, culminated Hughes’ five-year and nine-fight run with the organisation.

The 27-year-old is regarded as one of the top lightweight prospects on the planet and he is sure to attract interest from the biggest MMA brands.

“I’ve done so much with Cage Warriors and they’ve built my career,” Hughes told The MMA Hour.

“I’ve had so many big nights. I’ve won the title years ago against [Morgan] Charriere, unified it. I’ve been there, done that years ago. And the fact that I’m still here at this point is probably a surprise to everybody, myself and Cage Warriors included.

“So no, there was nothing about re-signing [with Cage Warriors]. It was just a case of, we’re going to let this guy move on.”

Hughes was offered an opportunity to fight under the PFL and Bellator banner following his win over Jan Quaeyhaegens last October, but Cage Warriors were unwilling to release the fighter.

Now that he is a free agent, Hughes is open to pursue any opportunities which may fall in his path. Most expect the UFC to be one of those opportunities.

“Honestly, I’m open to everything, man,” Hughes added. “As I say, I had to do a deep dive and I had to ask myself, is it fame that I want? Is it just clout? Is it to say that I’m in the UFC?

“To be honest, I don’t give a bollocks about that. I just turned 27 last week. I’m not that 21-, 22-year-old kid that has this dream of owning the UFC and I want to say I’m a UFC fighter.

“I’m at the stage now where I’ve had a lot of big nights in my career, I’ve done a lot of big things, and it’s not just about saying, ‘Oh, I fight in the UFC.’

“Me, right now, the No. 1 thing [is] being the best fighter on the planet. There’s nothing to say I can’t do that. I can do that anywhere. I can still be the best fighter on the planet. But I need to get my value.”

Should Hughes make the move over to the UFC, it would put him on the path with former Cage Warriors man, Paddy Pimblett.

When asked about ‘Paddy the Baddy’, Hughes said: “He’s s***ebag, mate. He’s an absolute s***ebag. He has been since Cage Warriors days.

“To be honest, I’m not a huge one for beefs and all that. I only do it when it’s legit, it’s not no fix-up. But I just think he’s always had a stinking attitude as well, being around him in the Cage Warriors days coming up.

“I’ve just never really seen eye-to-eye with him, to be honest. And I think what he’s doing — I mean, his fights in the UFC — very, very poor.

“I genuinely believe, as I said [on Instagram], that I’d beat him with one hand. And he’s a s***ebag. So [that’s] absolutely a fight that I want down the line or would be open to.”