Tag: Usman Nurmagomedov

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.”

‘I Underestimated This Guy’ – Usman Nurmagomedov Eats His Words After Grueling Fight With Paul Hughes

Usman Nurmagomedov now knows firsthand just how formidable Paul Hughes is. Nurmagomedov defended his Bellator lightweight title against Hughes in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai, held at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE on Saturday night. The undefeated Dagestani went the full five rounds with “Big News,” with several instances […]

Usman Nurmagomedov now knows firsthand just how formidable Paul Hughes is.

Nurmagomedov defended his Bellator lightweight title against Hughes in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai, held at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE on Saturday night.

The undefeated Dagestani went the full five rounds with “Big News,” with several instances where it was clear he was struggling to match the intensity of the determined challenger, even with his renowned, wrestling-heavy style.

However, following the tightly contested fight, Nurmagomedov managed to impress two judges with his performance, earning 48-46 scores, even after a point was deducted for groin strikes in the third round. The third judge scored the bout a 47-47 draw.

Ahead of their clash, the 155-pound champion consistently downplayed Hughes as a legitimate threat, undermining the Irishman by claiming he wasn’t worthy of the title shot. But after 25 minutes in the cage with him, Nurmagomedov now realizes just how misguided his assumptions were.

In his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov openly admitted his mistake in overlooking “Big News” and gave credit where it was due.

“Paul Hughes, brother, you are the man, brother,” Nurmagomedov said. “You’re really the man. Brother, you are tough. Honestly, I underestimated this guy. Whew. It was my little mistake, but still undefeated, undisputed, Bellator lightweight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov.”

The Russian went on to heap further praise on Hughes, commending his versatile game plan and acknowledging his opponent’s incredible resilience in the face of adversity.

“His wrestling defense, takedown defense [was] very well. He’s tough, he’s strong. I didn’t think he would be this strong. Brother, you are really strong. You tell me in the face to face, this was my mistake, you were right, brother. Thank you so much. I never take this damage, what I take with him in this fight. I have a lot of pain on my body. Brother, thank you for this fight. I think I jumped to next level because of him. He make me better than I was today. And I think, for sure, he got better, too. Thank you so much, Paul. I really respect you brother.”

‘I Underestimated This Guy’ – Usman Nurmagomedov Eats His Words After Grueling Fight With Paul Hughes

Usman Nurmagomedov now knows firsthand just how formidable Paul Hughes is. Nurmagomedov defended his Bellator lightweight title against Hughes in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai, held at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE on Saturday night. The undefeated Dagestani went the full five rounds with “Big News,” with several instances […]

Usman Nurmagomedov now knows firsthand just how formidable Paul Hughes is.

Nurmagomedov defended his Bellator lightweight title against Hughes in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai, held at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE on Saturday night.

The undefeated Dagestani went the full five rounds with “Big News,” with several instances where it was clear he was struggling to match the intensity of the determined challenger, even with his renowned, wrestling-heavy style.

However, following the tightly contested fight, Nurmagomedov managed to impress two judges with his performance, earning 48-46 scores, even after a point was deducted for groin strikes in the third round. The third judge scored the bout a 47-47 draw.

Ahead of their clash, the 155-pound champion consistently downplayed Hughes as a legitimate threat, undermining the Irishman by claiming he wasn’t worthy of the title shot. But after 25 minutes in the cage with him, Nurmagomedov now realizes just how misguided his assumptions were.

In his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov openly admitted his mistake in overlooking “Big News” and gave credit where it was due.

“Paul Hughes, brother, you are the man, brother,” Nurmagomedov said. “You’re really the man. Brother, you are tough. Honestly, I underestimated this guy. Whew. It was my little mistake, but still undefeated, undisputed, Bellator lightweight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov.”

The Russian went on to heap further praise on Hughes, commending his versatile game plan and acknowledging his opponent’s incredible resilience in the face of adversity.

“His wrestling defense, takedown defense [was] very well. He’s tough, he’s strong. I didn’t think he would be this strong. Brother, you are really strong. You tell me in the face to face, this was my mistake, you were right, brother. Thank you so much. I never take this damage, what I take with him in this fight. I have a lot of pain on my body. Brother, thank you for this fight. I think I jumped to next level because of him. He make me better than I was today. And I think, for sure, he got better, too. Thank you so much, Paul. I really respect you brother.”

‘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.

Usman Nurmagomedov Vows To ‘Destroy’ Paul Hughes: ‘PFL Gave Him This Title Shot Only Because He’s From Ireland’

Usman Nurmagomedov remains dismissive of Paul Hughes’ prospects of dethroning him. Nurmagomedov is set to put his Bellator lightweight title on the line against Hughes in the main event of the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series. The highly anticipated showdown is scheduled for this Saturday at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE. The matchup […]

Usman Nurmagomedov remains dismissive of Paul Hughes’ prospects of dethroning him.

Nurmagomedov is set to put his Bellator lightweight title on the line against Hughes in the main event of the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series. The highly anticipated showdown is scheduled for this Saturday at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE.

The matchup has been dubbed “Dagestan vs. Ireland 2,” rekindling the intense rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor that unfolded during their unforgettable UFC 229 showdown in October 2018. Usman and Hughes have channeled a comparable intensity, with their growing animosity building throughout the lead-up to their bout.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov expressed his belief that “Big News” hasn’t earned his title shot, asserting that he was handed the chance more because his narrative aligned with PFL’s promotional strategy than for any significant accomplishment.

“Brother, nobody knows who is Paul Hughes,” Nurmagomedov said.”He can talk something only because he wants to promote himself. PFL gave him this title shot only because he’s from Ireland, and they want to promote Ireland vs. Dagestan – something like that. I got my title shot when I was on a six-fight win streak, but I don’t care.”

When this fight was announced, Usman’s cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, boldly stated in a promotional interview that the skill level of Dagestani fighters far surpasses that of their Irish counterparts, a sentiment Usman shares regarding Hughes.

The undefeated Dagestani champion further emphasized that he’s operating on an entirely different level than his opponent, insisting it will be a straightforward task, with nothing about the Irishman’s game that could possibly catch him off guard.

“I think after first round, I will feel who is this guy. Technically, there’s nothing he can surprise me [with] – just little boxing, little kicks, not bad takedown defense, and that’s it… Inshallah, we’re going to finish this guy. I will destroy him all five rounds, or I will finish him in the first three rounds.”

Nurmagomedov enters this bout on the back of a dominant unanimous decision victory over Alexander Shabliy at the Bellator Champions Series in San Diego last September. He currently boasts a perfect professional record of 18-0, with eight knockouts and six submissions.

Meanwhile, “Big News” arrives at this title fight on a seven-fight win streak, having earned his opportunity with a hard-fought split decision victory over former champion AJ McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in October. Hughes holds a professional record of 13-1, with six knockouts and three submissions.