Tag: Usman Nurmagomedov

Paul Hughes No Longer Interested In Conor McGregor Cornering For Nurmagomedov Fight: ‘With Things Going Down Now…’

Paul Hughes has done a complete about-face regarding his enthusiasm for having Conor McGregor in the corner for his upcoming fight. When Hughes triumphed over AJ McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in October, he passionately floated the idea of enlisting his Irish compatriot, “The Notorious,” to join his corner for a […]

Paul Hughes has done a complete about-face regarding his enthusiasm for having Conor McGregor in the corner for his upcoming fight.

When Hughes triumphed over AJ McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in October, he passionately floated the idea of enlisting his Irish compatriot, “The Notorious,” to join his corner for a potential title clash with reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

At the time, McGregor pledged his support, expressing interest in standing in Hughes’ corner. The opportunity to reignite his storied rivalry with UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov — Usman’s first cousin and an almost certain presence in his corner — added an intriguing layer to the matchup.

“Big News” is now gearing up to face Nurmagomedov in the headline bout of the Road to Dubai Champions Series, set for Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, U.A.E. Surprisingly, though, he has decided to abandon his earlier plan of attempting to secure the former two-division UFC champion’s services for the biggest fight of his career to date.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hughes said that he was simply toying with the idea and explained that he has no real plans to bring McGregor into his corner for the highly anticipated title clash.

“Look, I mean the whole corner thing, that was the post-fight interview where things were just being thrown there,” Hughes said. “Other than, that just blew up and did the rounds on social media a couple of times. Other than that, I haven’t mentioned it or looked about anything to do that.”

“Big News” further explained that, given McGregor’s involvement in a whirlwind of controversy following an Irish court ruling last month that he was liable for the assault of a woman who accused him of rape in 2018, it would be unwise to enlist the sport’s most iconic figure for his corner.

“Obviously with things going down now, it’s not something I’m going to continue to pursue.”

However, Hughes also mentioned that he would prefer to have another fellow Irishman, UFC welterweight sensation Ian Garry, in his corner.

Interestingly, “The Future” had previously offered his support, suggesting the idea of returning the favor after Hughes cornered him in 2021 during his title fight under the Cage Warriors banner.

Paul Hughes Willing To Go To ‘Depths Of Hell’ To Knock Out Undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov

MMA fans, specifically those in the UK, have been hearing a lot about Paul Hughes and his potential for some time now. After he signed to the PFL earlier this year, he would now have the platform to really progress up the ladder and show what he is truly capable of. Hughes has always been […]

MMA fans, specifically those in the UK, have been hearing a lot about Paul Hughes and his potential for some time now. After he signed to the PFL earlier this year, he would now have the platform to really progress up the ladder and show what he is truly capable of.

Hughes has always been incredibly confident in his own ability and he’s not afraid to put himself out there but even with that in mind, his last fight came as a shock. Many believed that taking on A.J. McKee in his second fight with the promotion would be an instance of too much, too soon for the Irishman.

At PFL’s Battle of the Giants, he rose to the occasion by putting on a great performance to beat McKee in Riyadh and after defeating such a high-level opponent, there was only one logical next step for “Big News” and that’s the world championship. At the Road to Dubai Champions Series on January 25, Hughes will take on the undefeated Bellator lightweight champ, Usman Nurmagomedov.

The 27-year old knows that this is a huge test for him but he believes that even the win over McKee was only scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. He expects Nurmagomedov to really push him in this fight but just like in October, that pressure will bring the best out of him.

Hughes spoke about the fight in a recent interview with the Belfast Telegraph where he explained where he’s at mentally going into the biggest fight of his career.

“I see a knockout, 100 per cent. I may have to go to the depths of hell to beat this guy, and I will be prepared for that but I trust in my fight IQ, instincts and killer ability to find a way to get Usman out of there. I said I would knock out AJ and came within millimetres of doing it.

“I still beat him up, but I was close to knocking him out with the exact shot I called. I definitely see a knockout against Usman. There is a lot more to come from me. My last performance was a six out of ten, for many reasons. I have to be a ten out of ten to beat Usman, he is that good.”

Two More Ireland vs. Dagestan Fights Added To Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes PFL Card

On January 25, the PFL is set to host its first event in Dubai with the Road To Dubai Champions Series at the Coca-Cola Arena. In the main event, the undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will face the rising star Paul Hughes in a highly anticipated title fight. Following Hughes’ win over A.J. McKee […]

On January 25, the PFL is set to host its first event in Dubai with the Road To Dubai Champions Series at the Coca-Cola Arena. In the main event, the undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will face the rising star Paul Hughes in a highly anticipated title fight.

Following Hughes’ win over A.J. McKee at Battle of the Giants, he called for this fight and immediately attached the perfect tagline to it. When the event was announced, it was promoted as Ireland vs Dagestan 2 in reference to the biggest fight in the history of the sport between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

As the cousin of Khabib, we know that the defending champion will have his family involved for this fight though it seems unlikely that the same can be said for McGregor linking up with Hughes right now. However, PFL appears to be doubling down on this particular theme for the card following the announcement of two more matchups that pit Ireland against Dagestan.

A fantastic featherweight clash will see the undefeated Khasan Magomedsharipov take on Nate Kelly. Khasan, who is the younger brother of the former UFC featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov, has won five consecutive fights under the Bellator banner and was recently named in the top 10 of ESPN’s 25 under 25 list for 2024.

Ireland’s Kelly trains out of the same gym as McGregor, SBG Dublin, and has gone 10-0 since losing the first two pro fights of his career, having fought in both Bellator and the PFL in recent years.

A second bout sees another undefeated fighter with Dagestani origins facing one of the emerald isle’s finest. 20-year old Ibragim Ibragimov also represents the English flag having been born in Dagestan before moving at a young age. The 8-0 featherweight out of Manchester Top Team recently earned a decision win over Nacho Campos at Battle of the Giants. His opponent will be another SBG Ireland fighter, Kenny Mokhonoana.

The 27-year old has amassed a 5-1 record with two first-round finishes already under his belt in Bellator. His last fight in September last year saw him suffer his first pro loss to the highly regarded undefeated Welsh fighter Josh O’Connor.

A trilogy fight between Vadim Nemkov and Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson at heavyweight was also recently confirmed for the card.

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 […]

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 as the future by beating him via the scorecards.

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.

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

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

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes Dubai PFL Bellator

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