British mixed martial arts fans are in for a treat as two of Liverpool's finest fighters will settle a bitter rivalry in the PFL octagon.

On Saturday night, plenty of MMA fans across the UK and Ireland will be catching an early night ahead of a UFC 334 card featuring two major title fights kicking off in the early hours of Sunday morning.

But, in doing so, they'll miss one of the most exciting fights in British MMA taking place on the undercard of the Professional Fighters League's (PFL) upcoming event in Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena.

At the top of the prelims, former UFC fighter Shem Rock will make his PFL debut against Connor Hughes in a three-round lightweight bout that promises to capture headlines.

Rock v Hughes - The British MMA superfight that fans need to watch

Other than the fact that it's already an exciting stylistic matchup with both men promising a war on the feet as they look to launch themselves into title contention, both men fighting out of Liverpool adds an extra level of drama to the bout.

Hughes started training in kickboxing when he was just three years old, following in the footsteps of his mum, grandad and uncle who each competed for and won world championships.

At 18, he decided to make the move to MMA, much to the disliking of his family, later making his PFL debut in 2023.

Throughout his time fighting in the PFL, Hughes has worked his way to two PFL Europe lightweight finals, but ultimately falling short in both of them, with his knockout loss to Aleksandr Chizov in the 2025 final his last time out.

Now, 11 months later, he has the chance to prove he's still at the top of his game, taking on a fellow Liverpudlian on a massive stage, and he's not taking it lightly.

"It's a huge UK MMA fight, it's absolutely a massive fight," Hughes said in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible.

"Obviously it's two scousers fighting each other so there's a bit of spice to it and a bit of bragging rights within the city, I mean, we both come from gyms that are literally around the corner from each other."

For Hughes, proving he can compete with, and potentially beat, a fighter who just seven months ago was competing in the UFC offers a chance to demonstrate the level he is at and the improvements he's made in the time since the loss to Chizov.

“This is part of the reason why I wanted to fight with him. Obviously, like I say, it's a big UK MMA fight, but he's fresh off the cut from the UFC and he's come over to the PFL in the same division as me now.

"So, obviously, I think I think this fight, with it being two Scouse lads in a big profile fight, I feel like I've cashed in here because there is tension around this fight; there are more people who know who I am now because of this fight.

"I'm not stupid, I've kind of placed myself in this position and I think it definitely raises my profile and makes my name bigger after a win here.

"Two people in the UFC didn't finish him, so if I get in there and get a finish, I think it kind of starts raising questions, doesn't it?"

That being said, Hughes clearly wasn't too impressed with Rock's run in the UFC, which lasted just two fights before he was cut, much to the dismay of many British fans.

Reflecting on his opponent's time in the UFC, Hughes added: “Look, I'll give him credit with his UFC debut In terms of the guy he fought, he fought an undefeated Dagestani, that's not an easy debut for anybody.

"But was I impressed with his performances? Not really I don't think anybody was really too impressed with his performances If I'm being honest.

"But I'm taking it as if It's going to be a better version of Shem Rock, I've prepared for him as if he's literally the best thing on the planet."

However, maybe the most exciting part of the rivalry between the Liverpudlians has nothing to do with the fight itself, but their football teams.

As is well known, the rivalry between Liverpool and Everton is perhaps one of the fiercest in football, and Hughes, a boyhood Toffee, has promised: "I'm going to get it done for the Blues, aren't I?”

Shem Rock hits back at Connor Hughes ahead of PFL debut

Like Hughes, this fight is massive for Rock, who is looking to bounce back from a short stint in the UFC that saw him lose two in a row before being cut by the organisation.

At the time, many fans felt that the UFC had acted prematurely, especially given the fact that Rock trains at the famous Next Generation MMA gym that boasts fighters like Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann, Luke Riley and, most recently, George Staines.

But Rock isn't wasting any time feeling sorry for himself, and promises to deliver big on his return to the octagon.

“I don't think there's such thing as a fair decision, it's just how things are," Rock said, reflecting on the UFC cutting him during an exclusive interview with SPORTbible.

"I could have gone 0-8 like Tai Tuivasa and still been kept in, or I could have gone 7-0 like Basharat and been cut. This is the sport we're in; there is no fair and square, there is no straight line.

"Could I have done more? Yeah. Would I have liked to have done more? Yeah.

"I shouldn't have really been in there in the last fight; I took it injured but I still fought. I thought they'd give me another fight for that reason, but It's a cutthroat business.

"I'm sure when I go on a little win streak over there, then they'll realise they should have given me another one."

For his debut, he faces no easy challenge in Hughes, but despite his fellow Liverpudlian's performances in the PFL, Rock isn't exactly impressed with his behaviour outside of the octagon and criticised Hughes' lack of ambition.

He said: "You're going to call out a Scouser when you're on a promotion with the rest of the world? Maybe it shows a bit more of his mentality to my mentality. I thought I was going to come in and start fighting a Dagestani guy, then an American and so on.

"Maybe he's happy to be king of Europe, but I'm looking to be king of the whole world.

"But he ain't no friend of mine, that's for sure...He ain't no scouser him, but it just makes it all the more easier to punch him in the face."

And although Rock credited his opponent's run at the top of the European scene in the PFL, he admitted that he was disappointed not to have been offered a 'bigger name' for his debut.

"I was a bit shocked when they gave me Conor, I thought maybe they'd want me to fight a bigger name, I am more of a bigger name than him," Rock claimed.

"So I thought they'd want to do big name vs big name and then roll off the momentum, but yeah, it is what it is, I'm happy to get in there.

"But, I do think I'm a main card fighter, so I'll be addressing that when I get the mic after smoking Connor Hughes."

And as for the Everton v Liverpool rivalry, Rock simply noted: "I've got enough motivation to kill this c***. He's a f*****g muppet.”