Darragh Kelly to play waiting game before next move confirmed after win in France

‘Moville Mauler’ Darragh Kelly could be thrust into the PFL World Tournament at lightweight in 2026.

Following a first round stoppage of Bakhtiyor Abduloev on Friday night, Kelly is well positioned now to make a step up.

The 27-year-old extended his record to 9-0 as a pro and Kelly is now halfway through a four-fight deal under the PFL promotion.

On the same card on Friday night in the Zenith Nantes Metropole arena in France, the semi-finals of this year’s PFL Europe Lightweight Tournament took place.

“They have been throwing around that they want me in the lightweight tournament for next year,” Kelly told Donegal Live.

“I will just have to weigh up my options. I’m 27 now so maybe another year would benefit me if they would let me do that.

“I’ll talk to John (Kavanagh), Dave (Roche) and the team to see what’s next.

“In an ideal world, I would take two more fights that are in the contract, two more tests to get up the levels and then the following year go into the tournament.”

Kelly needed only two minutes and 27 seconds to take out Abduloev having stopped Mike Hamel in the third round in Kansas back in June.

The Donegal fighter said: “One thing I took from Kansas, comparing it to this fight is that I didn’t go out to America early enough. To go 10 days that far away, it meant that I was only 60 or 70 per cent what I should have been.

“I was firing on all cylinders in France and it’s all a learning curve. With PFL, I could fight again in a couple of months now or it could be a waiting game; we’ll see.

Liverpool’s Connor Hughes (12-2) fight in the PFL Europe Lightweight Tournament final after an emphatic finish over Gino van Steenis in Nantes.

Hughes was beaten in last year’s final and will go up against Aleksandr Chizov (12-3) from Latvia who booked his flight to the December 13 final in Lyon after taking a split decision win over Claudio Pacella (6-3). 

Hughes lost to Jakub Kaszuba in last year’s final.

Read next: Darragh Kelly making his power count in lightweight crusade

Kelly was backed by scores from across Inishowen who travelled to France for the fight and are dreaming of seeing their man on big cards.

He said: “The support from home is massive. I missed that when I fought in America. 

“There’s no point in running before you can walk. It’s easier to build a following in Europe and I suppose when you keep winning it will come eventually and I just have to keep doing what I’m doing.”