What exactly did Khabib Nurmagomedov tell his cousin during Saturday’s PFL Road to Dubai headliner?
Reigning Bellator lightweight titleholder Usman Nurmagomedov faced his toughest test to date, going five hard rounds with Irish sensation Paul Hughes in the first PFL event of 2025. After 25 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, Nurmagomedov overcame the adversity and emerged victorious, keeping both his title and his undefeated record intact.
Following the fight, Usman offered some insight into the words that Khabib told him as the fight seemingly started to slip away.
“Yes, he said, ‘You show to me your heart. I like, I like this. This is what you need.’ And I said, ‘It’s not for what I need. I was focused on finishing.’ He said, ‘No, no, no. This is experience. This is what you need.’ I agree with that,” Usman Nurmagomedov said during a post-fight interview.
Usman Nurmagomedov ultimately left with a majority decision victory after one judge ruled the bout as a draw. The somewhat controversial decision moved the 26-year-old Dagestani star to 19-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career.
Usman Nurmagomedov says no to immediate rematch with Paul Hughes
Given the close nature of the contest, some fight fans quickly began clamoring for an immediate rematch between the two. However, the Dagestani has little interest in that, suggesting the Irishman needs to go out and get a few more wins before earning another opportunity at the gold.
“No, he have to earn with a couple two, three, four fights in [PFL],” Nurmagomedov said in a backstage interview after the event. “He had only two fights and they gave him title shot. But Paul Hughes, this is all my respect to this guy. I think if he even go to the tournament for $1 million, he 100 percent [has a] chance to take this belt. Then, we can talk rematches.”
