Tag: PFL Champions Series

Khabib Nurmagomedov Invites Ireland’s Paul Hughes To Dagestan After PFL Battle With Cousin Usman

After a respectful exchange inside the cage at Saturday’s PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai event, that trend has continued between the Nurmagomedov family and Paul Hughes on social media. For a second time this month, a Nurmagomedov was involved in an early Fight of the Year contender. But while Umar came on the losing […]

After a respectful exchange inside the cage at Saturday’s PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai event, that trend has continued between the Nurmagomedov family and Paul Hughes on social media.

For a second time this month, a Nurmagomedov was involved in an early Fight of the Year contender. But while Umar came on the losing side of his at UFC 311 in Los Angeles, the bantamweight’s brother Usman had his hand raised in Dubai this past Saturday.

The Bellator lightweight champion kept the gold in his possession with a hard-fought decision victory over Paul Hughes at the PFL’s first event of the year.

Following a heated lead-up fueled by promotional material that dubbed the clash Dagestan vs. Ireland 2 — a reference to Khabib and Conor McGregor’s heated rivalry — the pair buried any hatchet that existed post-fight.

On Usman’s part, he admitted to underestimating “Big News,” whom some believe did enough to deserve the championship. Khabib, meanwhile, has also been giving Hughes praise.

In fact, the former UFC champion was so impressed — and keen to show that his animosity lies solely at McGregor’s feet rather than Ireland as a whole — that he’s even offered to host Hughes in his native Dagestan.

“Thank you for the fight @paulhughesmma and for the experience,” Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote. “I invite you and your whole team and family to Dagestan, any time you want, believe me you will like it and your arrival will serve as a good example for many young generations”

The ex-Cage Warriors standout was quick to respond, outlining his respect for the lightweight legend.

But when it comes to taking “The Eagle” up on his offer, Hughes had one condition that must be fulfilled first: a rematch.

“Thankyou @TeamKhabib I have great respect for you, your team and your nation,” Hughes wrote. “I would be honoured to take you up on this offer someday and then return the favour in Ireland. But please, only after I get to rematch Usman.”

It remains to be seen what the PFL will have in store for Usman Nurmagomedov and Hughes moving forward.

While many have echoed the Irishman’s calls for an immediate second dance, the champ suggested backstage at the Coca-Cola Arena that “Big News” requires three or four wins to earn another shot.

Paul Hughes Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Scorecards After Narrow Defeat To Usman Nurmagomedov

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov. On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE. Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional […]

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov.

On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE.

Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional performance, pushing the undefeated Dagestani phenom to the brink over five grueling rounds. Hughes countered every challenge Nurmagomedov threw his way and showcased his dominance in various exchanges throughout the bout.

However, Nurmagomedov found his rhythm between the rounds, leveraging his wrestling to gain control over Hughes, who couldn’t sway the judges despite his opponent’s point deduction for low blows in the third round.

After 25 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, two judges scored the contest 48-46 in favor of Nurmagomedov, while the third saw it as a 47-47 draw, allowing the champion to retain his title.

Moments following the conclusion of the fight, “Big News” took to Instagram to voice his frustration with the judges’ scoring. The Irishman confidently claimed that, in his eyes, he had done more than enough to seal the win for himself.

“We all thought I won that one,” Hughes said. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage that thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”

Hughes went on to explain that the accidental head clash in the fourth round swung the fight’s momentum, insisting that up until that point, he had been on the verge of overwhelming Nurmagomedov.

In his post-fight interview, the 27-year-old fervently expressed his desire to run it back, this time in front of his home crowd in Belfast. He once again called for an immediate rematch to settle the score with the Russian.

“I’m obviously disappointed. I’m gutted. I’m proud of myself, but I need to get that back. I deserve to have that belt.”

Paul Hughes Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Scorecards After Narrow Defeat To Usman Nurmagomedov

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov. On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE. Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional […]

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov.

On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE.

Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional performance, pushing the undefeated Dagestani phenom to the brink over five grueling rounds. Hughes countered every challenge Nurmagomedov threw his way and showcased his dominance in various exchanges throughout the bout.

However, Nurmagomedov found his rhythm between the rounds, leveraging his wrestling to gain control over Hughes, who couldn’t sway the judges despite his opponent’s point deduction for low blows in the third round.

After 25 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, two judges scored the contest 48-46 in favor of Nurmagomedov, while the third saw it as a 47-47 draw, allowing the champion to retain his title.

Moments following the conclusion of the fight, “Big News” took to Instagram to voice his frustration with the judges’ scoring. The Irishman confidently claimed that, in his eyes, he had done more than enough to seal the win for himself.

“We all thought I won that one,” Hughes said. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage that thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”

Hughes went on to explain that the accidental head clash in the fourth round swung the fight’s momentum, insisting that up until that point, he had been on the verge of overwhelming Nurmagomedov.

In his post-fight interview, the 27-year-old fervently expressed his desire to run it back, this time in front of his home crowd in Belfast. He once again called for an immediate rematch to settle the score with the Russian.

“I’m obviously disappointed. I’m gutted. I’m proud of myself, but I need to get that back. I deserve to have that belt.”

Paul Hughes Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Scorecards After Narrow Defeat To Usman Nurmagomedov

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov. On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE. Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional […]

Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov.

On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE.

Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, “Big News” delivered an exceptional performance, pushing the undefeated Dagestani phenom to the brink over five grueling rounds. Hughes countered every challenge Nurmagomedov threw his way and showcased his dominance in various exchanges throughout the bout.

However, Nurmagomedov found his rhythm between the rounds, leveraging his wrestling to gain control over Hughes, who couldn’t sway the judges despite his opponent’s point deduction for low blows in the third round.

After 25 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, two judges scored the contest 48-46 in favor of Nurmagomedov, while the third saw it as a 47-47 draw, allowing the champion to retain his title.

Moments following the conclusion of the fight, “Big News” took to Instagram to voice his frustration with the judges’ scoring. The Irishman confidently claimed that, in his eyes, he had done more than enough to seal the win for himself.

“We all thought I won that one,” Hughes said. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage that thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”

Hughes went on to explain that the accidental head clash in the fourth round swung the fight’s momentum, insisting that up until that point, he had been on the verge of overwhelming Nurmagomedov.

In his post-fight interview, the 27-year-old fervently expressed his desire to run it back, this time in front of his home crowd in Belfast. He once again called for an immediate rematch to settle the score with the Russian.

“I’m obviously disappointed. I’m gutted. I’m proud of myself, but I need to get that back. I deserve to have that belt.”

‘Did What McGregor Couldn’t’ – Jake Paul, Belal Muhammad, Dustin Poirier & Others React As Paul Hughes Pushes Usman Nurmagomedov To The Limit

In what is certainly going to be an early nominee for the 2025 Fight of the Year in MMA, Usman Nurmagomedov will likely end up as the final defending Bellator champion in the brand’s history. Nurmagomedov narrowly retained the Bellator lightweight title in a five-round war with Paul Hughes in the main event of the […]

In what is certainly going to be an early nominee for the 2025 Fight of the Year in MMA, Usman Nurmagomedov will likely end up as the final defending Bellator champion in the brand’s history.

Nurmagomedov narrowly retained the Bellator lightweight title in a five-round war with Paul Hughes in the main event of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai event at the Coca-Cola Arena on Jan. 25.

The Dagestani started aggressively, utilizing a variety of kicks to test his range before putting his striking on full display. Hughes found his rhythm and picked up his pace in the second, mixing initial strikes and counters. The champ kept up his kicks and clinch attempts, but he struggled to secure a takedown early. Both fighters traded combinations, with Nurmagomedov focused on knees and elbows as the challenger ripped to the body. The second round proved to arguably be the most difficult to score.

The fight was marred a bit by groin strikes during the third round, which resulted in the defending champion being docked a point. The Russian, however, rebounded with a takedown and controlling the action against the fence. Hughes kept active before both men’s output increased in a big way during the fourth round, including a ferocious exchanging in the final minute.

Nurmagomedov looked to use his grappling more in the final round, while simultaneously landing hard with knees on Hughes’ body. But the Irishman continued to push forward, landing combinations when possible before swinging wildly and taking over in the fight’s final, dramatic 30 seconds.

One judge scored the fight a 47-47 draw, while the other two gave 48-46 scorecards, giving Nurmagomedov the win.

Usman Nurmagomedov Defeats Paul Hughes In Early Fight Of The Year War

Nurmagomedov became champion initially with a win over Patricky Pitbull at Bellator 288. His title defenses prior to tonight included a win over Benson Henderson, a no contest against Brent Primus, and a victory over Alexander Shabliy.

The result in Dubai snaps a seven-fight win streak for Hughes. He earned a title shot off wins over Bobby King last summer and AJ McKee at the PFL: Battle of the Giants card in October.

‘We Need Him vs. Ngannou’ – Fans React As Ex-Bellator Champ Vadim Nemkov Submits Tim Johnson In Final Fight Of PFL Contract

What comes next for Vadim Nemkov is uncertain, but it can still include great opportunities following a win over Tim Johnson in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai on Jan. 25. Nemkov made things look easily, landing several head kicks on Johnson that busted him open across the center of his […]

What comes next for Vadim Nemkov is uncertain, but it can still include great opportunities following a win over Tim Johnson in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai on Jan. 25.

Nemkov made things look easily, landing several head kicks on Johnson that busted him open across the center of his head. The Russian was able to get a takedown and worked over his American foe against the fence. After dragging him away from the fence, Johnson attempted to power up.

The former Bellator light heavyweight champion, however, answered by wrapping his legs around Johnson and bringing him back down, flattening the UFC veteran and scoring the rear-naked choke victory.

Vadim Nemkov Easily Submits Late-Notice Opponent Tim Johnson, Fans Ponder Ngannou Showdown

Nemkov is now 2-0 at heavyweight after defeating Bruno Cappelozza last February at the PFL vs. Bellator card. Nemkov is now a free agent after fighting out his PFL (formerly Bellator) contract.

Jonhson, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back fights after three straight wins.