Usman Nurmagomedov is the obvious favorite to defeat Paul Hughes tomorrow (Sat., Jan 25, 2025) at Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) “Road to Dubai” event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. But that doesn’t mean the rising Irish sensation is bowing down to the Lightweight champ.
In fact, Hughes has “Big News” for Nurmagomedov and his fans, saying he will knock him out with the slightest opening. If not, then the champ better prepare for 25 minutes of pure hell.
“I just know my game and I know how to get my game going. So when it comes to someone like Usman, yeah, he’s looked incredible and he’s fought and beat very good guys but they’re not me,” Hughes told MMA Fighting.
“I move differently. I’m so high level. I’m elite, elite, elite in the MMA game. The in-betweens is where I excel and where I can expose this guy. That’s good that they’re saying that because when I beat him, it’s going to be all that more impressive.”
Hughes says you have to look no further than his recent upset win over A.J. McKee to realize that he isn’t like any other fighter Nurmagomedov has faced.
“[This fight] gives me five rounds to put a f*cking pace on him that he cannot withstand,” Hughes said. “Have him shooting for the jocks early, sprawl on him, keep the pressure on him just like I did A.J. I’m going to walk this guy down 100 percent. I know that I can knock him out but if I have to, I know I can bring him to the depths of hell, which is somewhere that he hasn’t been.
“Nobody has been putting that pressure on him. Most people fight him with fear. Nurmagomedov. Wrestler. This, that. He is dangerous. I am not going to fight this man with fear. I’m going to put fear into him early and I will walk him down and I will 100 percent get him out of there before the end of five rounds.”
Nurmagomedov has yet to taste defeat in his mixed marital arts (MMA) career at 18-0-1, though his title defense over Brent Primus at Bellator 300 was ruled a no contest (NC)_after the champ failed a post-fight drug test.
Fur Hughes — the former Cage Warriors Lightweight and Featherweight champion — this is just his third fight under the PFL banner, but his first two wins were enough to convince the higher-ups that he was indeed ready for a title shot.
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