Hughes Stops Rock In 64 Seconds At PFL Dubai
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Connor Hughes flattened UFC veteran Shem Rock with a brutal first-round combination Saturday at PFL Dubai, forcing referee Bryan Miner to stop the lightweight bout in just 64 seconds.
Hughes, now 13-3 as a professional, dropped Rock with a nasty sequence of hooks in the opening frame at the Coca-Cola Arena in the United Arab Emirates. The finish improved the English fighter's PFL record to 6-3 and snapped a skid from his December 2025 loss to Alex Chizov, per MMA Fighting.
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Hughes Bounces Back After Chizov Setback
The knockout marked Hughes' return to form after the third-round defeat ended a two-fight finishing streak. Rock, making his PFL debut, fell to 0-3 across major promotions following a pair of decision losses in the UFC.
The preliminary card bout set the stage for the evening's heavyweight title fight between Vadim Nemkov and Sergei Bilostennyi. Hughes has now won six of nine appearances under the PFL banner, with all three defeats coming by decision.
Reported via:
- MMA Fighting — Watch Connor Hughes knock out UFC veteran with brutal combo at PFL Dubai
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