Best reasons to catch PFL Belfast

A high-stakes lightweight clash headlines PFL Belfast: Tune in Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

It seems that Jay-Jay Wilson was going to give the OK no matter who the Professional Fighters League stuck in front of him.

“The Maori Kid” will venture into hostile territory when he locks horns with the undefeated Darragh Kelly—a short-notice substitution for Paul Hughes—in the PFL Belfast lightweight headliner on Thursday at the SSE Arena in Northern Ireland. Wilson, 28, enters the cage with an 11-2 record. However, the New Zealand native finds himself in bounce-back mode following a unanimous decision defeat to Archie Colgan at PFL Dubai on Feb. 6. Wins over Mads Burnell, Vladimir Tokov, Pedro Carvalho and former M-1 Global champion Mansour Barnaoui anchor Wilson’s resume. Kelly, meanwhile, has rattled off nine straight victories to start his career. The 28-year-old SBG Ireland export last saw action at PFL Europe 3, where he put away Bakhtiyar Abdulloev with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their Sept. 26 confrontation. Seven of Kelly’s nine pro wins have resulted in finishes.

In addition to the Kelly-Wilson showdown at the top of the ticket, here are two other reasons to catch PFL Belfast:

Fresh setting for ‘Skeletor’

Rhys McKee hopes a change of scenery can do him some good. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship and British Association of Mixed Martial Arts titleholder makes his organizational debut opposite Alex Lohore in the three-round catchweight co-main event at 176 pounds. McKee, 30, steps onto an uncharted battlefield having dropped three of his past four bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He last suited up at UFC Fight Night 258, where he succumbed to punches from Axel Sola in the third round of their Sept. 6 encounter. It was McKee’s first stoppage loss in more than five years. On the other side of the equation, the well-traveled Lohore has posted three wins across his past four appearances. The ex-BAMMA and Ultimate Challenge MMA champion last strapped on the gloves on May 17, when he dismissed Mansur Abdurzakov with punches in the third round of their pairing under the Brave Combat Federation banner. Lohore, 36, has secured 21 of his 26 pro victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Yagshimuradov poised for a rebound

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov finds himself in an unfamiliar position: back at the drawing board. The onetime Absolute Championship Akhmat titleholder and 2024 PFL tournament winner toes the line against Tyson Pedro in a three-round light heavyweight showcase. Yagshimuradov saw his seven-fight winning streak grind to a halt at PFL Champions Series 3, where he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Corey Anderson in a failed bid to capture the inaugural PFL light heavyweight crown on Oct. 3. The 36-year-old Turkmenistan native trains out of the star-studded American Top Team camp in Coconut Creek, Florida. Pedro, meanwhile, once again spreads his wings after he compiled a 6-5 record in the UFC. All 10 of his career wins have resulted in finishes. Pedro’s list of victims includes Khalil Rountree, Paul Craig, Saparbek Safarov, Isaac Villanueva, Harry Hunsucker and Anton Turkalj.