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Paul Hughes Looks To Secure Revenge For Ireland Against Dagestan: ‘I’ll Find Out Where Islam’s At’

At the PFL’s Battle of the Giants event, Paul Hughes was one of the biggest stories of the night following his great performance. The Irish lightweight was considered to be one of the brightest rising talents in the sport but in a huge step-up against AJ McKee, he showed that he’s the present as well […]

Just like he wanted to face McKee so that he could make a statement, Hughes knew exactly who was in his sights after getting his hand raised. “Big News” called for a fight with Bellator lightweight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, which has since been confirmed for January 25 in Dubai in one of the best match-ups that the promotion could possibly put together.

The challenger also did a lot of the heavy lifting for the PFL when it comes to marketing this fight after on the mic, he pitched it as Dagestan vs Ireland 2. The promotion has ran with that tagline when the fight was announced yesterday, setting it up as the second chapter to the biggest fight in MMA history between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

In a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Hughes said that evening the score by getting some revenge for “The Notorious” by beating Khabib’s cousin next time out is a big source of motivation for him. He doesn’t see this being the decider either, teasing the potential of a trilogy bout with the UFC’s lightweight king, Islam Makhachev further down the line.

“Yeah 100%, I’m going to make it 1-1 for the boys definitely and maybe in the future, make it 2-1. I’ll find out where Islam’s at and maybe do that in the future but I’ll not get ahead of myself now. Usman’s an incredibly, incredibly dangerous fighter that I have to be on my game to beat.”

PFL Announces ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland 2’ As Paul Hughes Challenges Usman Nurmagomedov

The Bellator Champions Series will head to Dubai in 2025, where lightweight kingpin Usman Nurmagomedov headlines in defense of his title. In a press release this week, the Professional Fighters League announced a multi-year partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism that will see the promotion return to the United Arab Emirates annually. […]

The Bellator Champions Series will head to Dubai in 2025, where lightweight kingpin Usman Nurmagomedov headlines in defense of his title.

In a press release this week, the Professional Fighters League announced a multi-year partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism that will see the promotion return to the United Arab Emirates annually.

And the first major event there is set for the Coca-Cola Arena on Jan. 25, as the first Bellator Champions Series event of the new year goes down.

Headlining will be the return of Nurmagomedov (18-0, 1 NC), the Bellator lightweight titleholder who made his first outing since the PFL acquired his previous employer in San Diego this past September.

Having got past Alexandr Shabliy to maintain his undefeated status, the Dagestani will next look to stall the championship ambitions of Ireland’s Paul Hughes (13-1).

“I am always excited to challenge myself against the best athletes and I view Paul Hughes as a worthy opponent,” Nurmagomedov said. “I’m proud to be the first MMA main event in Dubai history.”

Hughes has made a splash since signing with the PFL off the back of title glory under the Cage Warriors banner. After knocking out Bobby King on debut, “Big News” most recently recorded the biggest win of his career over AJ McKee on the undercard of Francis Ngannou’s return.

A result of that magnitude has unsurprisingly bagged him a first shot at gold opposite Nurmagomedov.

“The championship has always been in my plans, and now it’s coming to fruition in January when I face Usman,” Paul Hughes said. “I respect what he brings to the table and I am not discrediting him, but I know I will leave Dubai on January 25 as the new champion.”

The PFL’s “Dagestan vs. Ireland 2” branding references the memorable feud between the great Khabib Nurmagomedov — cousin of Usman — and Conor McGregor back in 2018. In recent months, Hughes has called for his “Notorious” fellow countryman to corner him for his clash with the Russian next year.

The press release announcing the title fight also revealed that all Bellator Champions Series events will now be co-branded as the “Road to Dubai,” with the cards leading up to the finale in the UAE each year.

Read More: Francis Ngannou Waiting To See What PFL Offers Before Making Next Fighting Decision

Breaking: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes Booked for January 25 in Dubai

Usman Nurmagomedov will look to defend his world title against the top-ranked contender Paul Hughes in the PFL hosted…

Usman Nurmagomedov will look to defend his world title against the top-ranked contender Paul Hughes in the PFL hosted in Dubai on January 25.

Road to Dubai

Dubai is teaming up with the Professional Fighters League to make the city a major destination for mixed martial arts. This partnership will bring annual events called the “Road to Dubai” to the city, along with training programs to help develop Emirati fighters into future champions. The goal is to establish Dubai as a global hub for MMA while boosting sports tourism and showcasing the city’s world-class hospitality.

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes

The first event, the Champions Series World Title, will take place on January 25, 2025, at the Coca-Cola Arena. Headlining the event is a matchup between undefeated MMA champion Usman Nurmagomedov from Dagestan and Irish rising star Paul Hughes. This will be Dubai’s first-ever major MMA title event and a historic moment for the sport in the region.

Usman Nurmagomedov is the cousin and student of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. Hughes was a champion in Cage Warriors before signing with the PFL, and recently earned an impressive win against former champion AJ McKee. Usman Nurmagomedov’s world title will be on the line in this matchup.

“I am always excited to challenge myself against the best athletes and I view Paul Hughes as a worthy opponent,” Usman Nurmagomedov continued, “I’m proud to be the first MMA main event in Dubai history.”

“The championship has always been in my plans, and now it’s coming to fruition in January when I face Usman,” Paul Hughes explained. “I respect what he brings to the table and I am not discrediting him, but I know I will leave Dubai on January 25 as the new champion.”

“The Professional Fighters League is proud to be the first organization to launch major global MMA events in Dubai,” said PFL CEO Pete Murray. “We are excited to partner with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council to stage annual mega events in the city of gold and develop the next generation of UAE champion fighters.”

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes Dubai PFL Bellator

Breaking: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes Booked for January 25 in Dubai

Usman Nurmagomedov will look to defend his world title against the top-ranked contender Paul Hughes in the PFL hosted…

Usman Nurmagomedov will look to defend his world title against the top-ranked contender Paul Hughes in the PFL hosted in Dubai on January 25.

Road to Dubai

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes

VIDEO: Usman Nurmagomedov & Paul Hughes Faceoff Fuels Rumors Of Bellator Title Fight

At the PFL’s Battle of the Giants event last month, one of the biggest talking points was the emphatic victory produced by Paul Hughes. The Irish lightweight was one of the most exciting prospects around when the PFL signed him earlier this year but no one expected that within the same year, he’d be in […]

Continue Reading VIDEO: Usman Nurmagomedov & Paul Hughes Faceoff Fuels Rumors Of Bellator Title Fight at MMA News.

After a debut win on the Bellator Champions Series in June, Hughes was matched up with one of the top names on the roster in former champion AJ McKee. Many assumed that this would be too much of a step for “Big News” at this stage in his career but he proved a lot of people wrong by beating McKee in Riyadh, even if the fight was controversially scored as a split decision.

He immediately called to face Bellator’s lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov who is another one of the promotion’s most highly regarded talents. The cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov has an unbeaten record of 18-0 with one no contest and recently defended his title in San Diego with a decision win over Alexander Shabliy.

Whilst drawing comparisons between this fight and the biggest clash in the history of the sport between “The Eagle” and Conor McGregor, Hughes said that it was time for another instalment of Russia vs Ireland and it seems that he may have already been granted his wish.

A video on social media shows the two men facing off with one another whilst cameramen in PFL clothing film the stare down for what is likely going to be used as promotional material in the build up. No official timeframe for the fight has been announced but it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest contests that the promotion could put on right now.

Continue Reading VIDEO: Usman Nurmagomedov & Paul Hughes Faceoff Fuels Rumors Of Bellator Title Fight at MMA News.

Conor McGregor: “I’ll Support You 100%” in Paul Hughes Bout Against Usman Nurmagomedov, takes shots at Khabib

Ireland’s Paul Hughes will soon face the Khabib Nurmagomedov trained Usman Nurmagomedov, for the Bellator title, and wants Conor…

Ireland’s Paul Hughes will soon face the Khabib Nurmagomedov trained Usman Nurmagomedov, for the Bellator title, and wants Conor McGregor in his corner for this matchup. ‘The Notorious’ said he is absolutely into supporting Hughes for his title match against the Dagestani athlete.

Paul Hughes

The Cage Warriors champion signed with the PFL earlier this year. In his promotional debut, he out-pointed the prodigy AJ McKee over a three-round decision. With this win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he sets himself up as the top contender to face Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator Lightweight Title.

Usman is a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov and has long been a training partner. Khabib would be in Usman’s corner during the Hughes title match. Thus, Hughes has asked his Irish countryman and rival of Khabib, Conor McGregor to be in his corner. In his post-fight interview, the Irish fighter said:

“Yeah, that’s obvious. [Usman Nurmagomedov] is what I want. I said I was here for the biggest fights, the highest-pressure moments, and to make the most money possible. Usman is next, no question. There’s a lot of hype around this fight, and I’m here for it … How crazy would that be? We might need some extra security that night, though. We’ll need more security! But I’m down for it. It’ll be fun.”

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor changed the face of MMA when he made history as a two-division UFC Champion. But he might be best known for his blockbuster match against his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. Hearing the calls from Paul Hughes, McGregor said that he would be in attendance to support Hughes against Nurmagomedov. In a deleted Tweet, ‘The Notorious’ said:

“Paul my man I will go to the arena and support 100% for sure and if it kicks off I’ll be in there before you could even say ‘The [Nurmagomedovs] are juice head inbred rats married to their cousins’. Your team and corner have done a tremendous job with you! They will take you all the way! You’ve got this! We are with you brother, bring home the Gold!”