Tag: Usman Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov Believes Brother Umar ‘Won The First Three Rounds’ vs. Merab Dvalishvili 

Umar Nurmagomedov was pretty clear that he thought he did enough to win the bantamweight title at UFC 311. All three judges had the fight scored in favor of the defending champion, Merab Dvalishvili, but Umar’s own brother disputes this. A lot of fight fans, and two of the three judges, had the challenger winning […]

Umar Nurmagomedov was pretty clear that he thought he did enough to win the bantamweight title at UFC 311. All three judges had the fight scored in favor of the defending champion, Merab Dvalishvili, but Umar’s own brother disputes this.

A lot of fight fans, and two of the three judges, had the challenger winning the first two rounds of the fight where he was able to successfully implement his striking whilst defending takedowns from the champion. The most significant round of the fight ended up being the third where all of a sudden, the tide appeared to be turning.

Whilst the round was competitive, the consensus opinion was that Dvalishvili was able to change the momentum of the contest in this period by starting to have more success with his constant pressure and output which started to wear on his opponent. Usman Nurmagomedov believes that the Georgian’s success in this round was not enough for him to get a 10 next to his name on the scorecards.

The undefeated Bellator lightweight champion returns this weekend to face Paul Hughes in Dubai following an incredibly busy few weeks for his team and family. Nurmagomedov spoke in a recent interview with MMA Junkie about how from his point of view, “The Machine” needed a finish in the championship rounds to keep hold of the title.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised because I thought Umar won the first three rounds,” Usman said. “When they said ‘and still,’ I thought they were going to say ‘and still undefeated.’ But anyway, Alhamdulillah. Of course, this has some effect on me, but I try to keep it inside of me. I don’t want to talk about that with people.”

Despite this, Nurmagomedov is confident that his older brother will bounce back and that this just another chapter in his journey.

“It’s just one step back for the streak, you know, Inshallah. All good Alhamdulillah for everything, we’re always thankful for God, and this time the same thing. Nothing changes.

Usman Nurmagomedov Believes Brother Umar ‘Won The First Three Rounds’ vs. Merab Dvalishvili 

Umar Nurmagomedov was pretty clear that he thought he did enough to win the bantamweight title at UFC 311. All three judges had the fight scored in favor of the defending champion, Merab Dvalishvili, but Umar’s own brother disputes this. A lot of fight fans, and two of the three judges, had the challenger winning […]

Umar Nurmagomedov was pretty clear that he thought he did enough to win the bantamweight title at UFC 311. All three judges had the fight scored in favor of the defending champion, Merab Dvalishvili, but Umar’s own brother disputes this.

A lot of fight fans, and two of the three judges, had the challenger winning the first two rounds of the fight where he was able to successfully implement his striking whilst defending takedowns from the champion. The most significant round of the fight ended up being the third where all of a sudden, the tide appeared to be turning.

Whilst the round was competitive, the consensus opinion was that Dvalishvili was able to change the momentum of the contest in this period by starting to have more success with his constant pressure and output which started to wear on his opponent. Usman Nurmagomedov believes that the Georgian’s success in this round was not enough for him to get a 10 next to his name on the scorecards.

The undefeated Bellator lightweight champion returns this weekend to face Paul Hughes in Dubai following an incredibly busy few weeks for his team and family. Nurmagomedov spoke in a recent interview with MMA Junkie about how from his point of view, “The Machine” needed a finish in the championship rounds to keep hold of the title.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised because I thought Umar won the first three rounds,” Usman said. “When they said ‘and still,’ I thought they were going to say ‘and still undefeated.’ But anyway, Alhamdulillah. Of course, this has some effect on me, but I try to keep it inside of me. I don’t want to talk about that with people.”

Despite this, Nurmagomedov is confident that his older brother will bounce back and that this just another chapter in his journey.

“It’s just one step back for the streak, you know, Inshallah. All good Alhamdulillah for everything, we’re always thankful for God, and this time the same thing. Nothing changes.

Usman Nurmagomedov Compares Rivalry with Paul Hughes to Iconic Khabib vs. Conor Feud

Usman Nurmagomedov Compares His Rivalry with Paul Hughes to Iconic Khabib vs. Conor FeudMove over Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, there’s a new Russia vs. Ireland rivalry in town. On Saturday, January…

Usman Nurmagomedov Compares His Rivalry with Paul Hughes to Iconic Khabib vs. Conor Feud

Move over Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, there’s a new Russia vs. Ireland rivalry in town.

On Saturday, January 24, reigning Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will put his gold on the line when the PFL heads to Dubai for a Champions Series event inside the Coca-Cola Arena. In the main event of the evening, the undefeated Dagestani will defend his title against surging Irish star Paul Hughes in a bout that has become just as much personal as it is business.

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In the weeks leading up to their scrap, tensions have flared, much of it having to do with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments about the lack of legitimate fighters from Ireland, especially when compared to Dagestan’s influx of emerging stars.

“Ireland don’t have fighters, brother,” Khabib told the PFL. “Let’s be honest. How many fighters do you know from Ireland? Paul Hughes and Conor [McGregor], and who else? There is no fighters.”

Adding his take on the debate during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Usman Nurmagomedov echoed Khabib’s comments adding that ‘The Eagle’ showed the world why Dagestan stands above Ireland in mixed martial arts, a reference to the former UFC lightweight champion’s submission victory over Irish megastar Conor McGregor in 2018.

“This is Dagestan vs. Ireland in sports, not from people,” Usman Nurmagomedov said. “We cannot touch national… Sounds good, why not?… I think our level, big different than Ireland. Khabib showed this to people, and Inshaallah, I will show it, too.”

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Nurmagomedov insists paul Hughes has no way to win

As for Paul Hughes’ chances of dethroning the Dagestani in Dubai on Saturday, Nurmagomedov can’t say any path to victory for his Irish opposition.

“He said when he punches me, something will change – but who can do that? Someone has punched me? Never. No. Nobody can touch me,” Nurmagomedov added. “Sometimes, I’m really thinking like, ‘How can he beat me? How?’ Even striking, I’m much better than him in striking. I don’t know what his plan is for this fight, but I will follow my plans and do my job. I don’t care what he will do.”

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The Road to Dubai Champions Series card is scheduled to air at 11 am ET, 4 pm GMT. Fans in the United States can catch all the action live on MAX while fans around the world can tune in on DAZN.

Ireland’s Paul Hughes Plans To Tell Khabib ‘I Told You So’ After Beating Dagestan’s Usman Nurmagomedov

PFL star Paul Hughes is excited for Khabib Nurmagomedov to have a cageside view to his recent claim about Ireland being proved emphatically wrong later this month. Khabib, a former UFC lightweight champion, has put considerable time into coaching since ending his career as a 29-0 professional. And after cornering Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov […]

PFL star Paul Hughes is excited for Khabib Nurmagomedov to have a cageside view to his recent claim about Ireland being proved emphatically wrong later this month.

Khabib, a former UFC lightweight champion, has put considerable time into coaching since ending his career as a 29-0 professional. And after cornering Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, “The Eagle” will head to Dubai for Usman Nurmagomedov’s Bellator title defense.

Ahead of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai event on Jan. 25, the Dagestani has been doing some promotional work on social media by claiming his region’s superiority over that of his cousin’s opponent, Ireland’s Hughes.

During a recent interview with BBC Sport NI, Hughes recalled his first time seeing Khabib suggest that Ireland ‘doesn’t have fighters’, a remark that brought back memories of his crushing triumph over Conor McGregor in 2018.

The 27-year-old expects to prove the UFC legend wrong come fight night in Dubai, and he’s got some words ready to tell “The Eagle” in the aftermath.

“I was out with a friend, and I saw it and thought, ‘I don’t really care.’ It’s just fight stuff but it’s good for marketing, it’s good he’s doing that, but I don’t really care,” Hughes said. “I respect him as a fighter, but I don’t care what his opinion is.

“Knowing he’ll be in Usman’s corner, I think when I win, I’ll be like, ‘I told you so,’ and that will be pleasurable but that is the competitor in me,” Hughes added.

Hughes has also reacted plenty of times on social media, first telling Khabib that McGregor ‘made him famous’, before most recently taking a dig at Usman’s failed drug test in 2023.

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.”