Khabib Nurmagomedov made amends with the country of Ireland following the conclusion of PFL’s “Road To Dubai” event earlier today (Sat., Jan. 25, 2025) from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as the former UFC lightweight champion addressed the crowd to show his support and ultimately bury the hatchet.
Remember, Nurmagomedov landed in some hot water earlier this month when he claimed Ireland didn’t have good fighters compared to Dagestan. Khabib’s remarks didn’t sit well with many members of the combat community, including former UFC stars Tony Ferguson and Darren Till. Still, Nurmagomedov stood by his claims leading into Saturday’s main event title fight between his cousin, current Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, and talented Irish contender, Paul Hughes.
Despite Nurmagomedov’s pre-fight trash talk and impeccable corner work, his cousin still struggled against Hughes. The Irish challenger was able to defend a ton of takedowns while beating up the lead leg of Nurmagomedov and giving him a real run for his money. Nurmagomedov was eventually awarded a majority decision win over Hughes, but many thought “Big News” actually did enough to walk away with the title (highlights HERE).
After the fight, Khabib ended up stealing the microphone from his cousin during his in-cage interview and took the time to address the country of Ireland. The former UFC superstar minced no words as he showered Ireland with support and love. It was pretty cool to watch, but it makes you wonder if Khabib would have done the same thing if Hughes had won.
“Here inside the cage, only competition,” said Nurmagomedov (shown in the above video at the one-minute mark). “We love you guys because you support our brothers in Palestine.”
What do you make of all this? Will bygones be bygones or will the feud between Dagestani and Irish fighters live on?
Let us know!
For complete PFL “Road To Dubai” results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.