Hordes of proud Irish fans will be out in force when Jay-Jay Wilson (11-2-0) enters enemy territory in the main event of PFL Belfast, but even though the crowd and odds are against him, ‘The Māori Kid’ thrives in the chaos.
Wilson was originally scheduled to face former championship contender Paul ‘Big News’ Hughes (14-3-0), but injury forced the Irishman to pull out. Fortunately, another man bearing the same tri-coloured flag was more than happy to step up.
Darragh ‘The Moville Mauler’ Kelly (9-0-0) now headlines the PFL card opposite Wilson. The lightweight fight could prove to have major title implications when it airs live on Stan Sports on Friday, April 17 at 4:30am AEST.
On the day news dropped that Hughes had pulled out, Wilson sat down with Fight News Australia to discuss all the ups and downs which led to that moment and revealed why he agreed to a new opponent on such short notice.
“I train to fight anybody all the time. It’s just the game plan changes a little bit,” Wilson said.
“I was preparing for Paul Hughes but I’m always preparing to fight anybody because you never know what can happen.
“This fight game is very unpredictable. One time you’re fighting one guy, the next minute you’re fighting for the belt. You’ve seen it happen multiple times in the UFC and in PFL.”
The New Zealand native last fought in October, 2025, losing to Archie ‘King’ Colgan (13-0-0) by unanimous decision, but this next fight will be the ultimate test of his career.
Kelly last fought in September, 2025, where he scored a submission victory in the first round. An impressive win, which, according to his perfect record, appears to be a running theme throughout his career.
“He’s predominantly a grappler. So his game plan is going to be a little bit different than Paul Hughes. Of course, Paul Hughes would want to come out and throw some hands,” Wilson told Fight News Australia.
“He’s (Kelly) undefeated, but I don’t really see on his record where he’s fought super solid guys. He hasn’t really been tested that hard. The guys he fought were tough, but they’re not high-calibre guys.
“I think this is going to be the first real test for him. So I’m ready to take that ‘0’ off his record.”
Current PFL World Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov is running out of challengers as he has nearly cleared out his division, defeating Patricky Pitbull, Benson Henderson, Alfie Davis and Paul Hughes twice.
Some fresh blood is needed in the title picture and Jay-Jay Wilson could be a shot of excitement for the division. Claiming a big win will put him back in the conversation.
“Currently, I’m not in the conversation because I just lost to Archie Colgan,” he said.
“This time, I’m definitely prepared to go out there and knock this guy out or submit him. Then I think my name will be back in the conversation for sure.”
There are always concerns when accepting a short-notice replacement fight. The long weeks of fight camp are dedicated to countering a certain style, weakness and strategy. All that has to be readjusted to accommodate the new challenger.
However, ‘The Māori Kid’ remains true to himself and his abilities and believes he can take out Kelly in any round, whether it be via KO or submission. Wilson went even further, stating he doesn’t watch tape on his opponents; instead, he prefers to leave the research to his coaches.
“I’m a little bit different than most fighters. I’m a Māori. I’m a New Zealander. I like to just chill and fight whoever, you know? It’s my coaches. They go in, they watch the films, and then they pick out little pieces. So I rely heavily on my coaches,” Wilson said.
“Personally, I think I’m better than him everywhere. I feel like he doesn’t best me in most places. I think I can outstrike him. I think I can out-grapple him. So, I’m not really concerned.
“He has his little tricks. He has his little things that he’s good at that I have to be careful with. But I feel like if I go out there and I apply my game plan and showcase my skills, he’s just not going to have an answer for them.”
Wilson may be the only Kiwi at the event but he will have the support of several Australian fighters on the undercard. Chelsea Hackett is set to return to the SmartCage while Sean Gauci, David Martinez and Tyson Pedro make their long-awaited PFL debuts.
- Light heavyweight: Tyson Pedro (10-5-0) vs Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-8-1)
- Welterweight: David Martinez (16-6-0) vs Giannis Bachar (9-3-0)
- Bantamweight: Sean Gauci (10-1-0) vs Liam Gittins (13-5-0, 1 NC)
- Flyweight: Chelsea Hackett (4-3-1) vs Andrea Vázquez (8-2-0)
With the addition of these four fights alongside Wilson, PFL Belfast has been stacked with talent from the southern hemisphere. The biggest storylines will be Pedro’s return to MMA after stepping into the boxing ring, Martinez and Gauci entering the big leagues and Hackett looking to get back in the win column.
Even with all the hype – and the chaos – surrounding this event, Wilson took the time to deliver three personal messages.
What would you say to Paul Hughes if you wanted to send him a message?
“Recover your knees and then we can get to it. Let’s get this work. Yeah, I definitely want to see this fight rescheduled in the future.”
Do you have any words for your new opponent, Darragh Kelly, before you both go toe-to-toe?
“Bring your best game because I’m going to be bringing mine.”
For the fans in New Zealand and Australia, what can we all expect to see from this main event?
“You can expect fireworks. I’m going to come out there and I’m going to try to finish him right from the start. I don’t care how it’s going to be. Whether it be strikes, whether it be grappling, I’m going to go out there and I’m going to demonstrate my skills.”
Tune into PFL Belfast as Jay-Jay Wilson attempts to cause an upset in enemy territory against Darragh Kelly on Friday, April 17 at 4:30am AEST.
The Professional Fighters League is available to watch in Australia via Stan Sports.