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Rising lightweight star Paul Hughes is already eyeing a title shot against Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, should he defeat A.J. McKee in their upcoming fight. Hughes, who recently made waves by choosing to sign with PFL and Bellator over the UFC, is rapidly climbing the ranks and positioning himself as a future contender.
In his Bellator debut earlier this summer, Hughes delivered an impressive second-round knockout victory over Bobby King. Now, the Irish fighter is set to face former Bellator champion A.J. McKee next month on the undercard of the highly anticipated Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira bout in Saudi Arabia. McKee enters the fight on a four-fight win streak, with his most recent victory being a submission win over Clay Collard in February.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Hughes previewed his fight with McKee and discussed his aspirations for a title shot. He revealed that a bout with Usman Nurmagomedov is his next big goal, should he get past McKee. Nurmagomedov, who is coming off a decision win over Alexandr Shabliy, is one of the most formidable fighters in the lightweight division, and Hughes believes he’s ready for the challenge.
Hughes compared his potential fight with Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor's famous bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov, seeing it as a continuation of the Ireland vs. Russia rivalry. He stated,
“Right now what is most exciting to me is definitely fighting Usman. That’s Russia vs. Ireland 2. That’s an Irishman vs. a Nurmagomedov. Obviously, there’s going to be a storyline there as well with A.J. supposed to be the next guy up, but whenever I beat him, it’s got to be me next.”
Hughes has kept Nurmagomedov in his sights for a while, having called him out on social media multiple times. Although he initially planned to challenge the champion after his Bellator debut, Nurmagomedov had already been booked for another fight. Now, Hughes is confident that a victory over McKee will put him in a prime position for a title shot.
With the potential of a high-stakes showdown between Hughes and Nurmagomedov looming, fans are eager to see if Hughes can back up his bold ambitions and secure his place as the next title contender.
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