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Reigning Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) isn’t losing sleep over Paul Hughes (13-1) ahead of their much-anticipated clash at PFL’s Road to Dubai on January 25. Despite Hughes’ growing reputation and an impressive victory over A.J. McKee in October, Nurmagomedov questions the legitimacy of Hughes as a title contender.
“It was not a crazy fight (with McKee),” Nurmagomedov told. “For my opinion, this fight is not a contender fight. If you make a contender fight, make it five rounds. These guys make it three rounds and they give him a title shot. But maybe this fight is good for media, and that’s why they give me Paul, who has only two fights in Bellator. But I don’t care. Give me some name, a date, and I will be there and I will be ready.”
Adding to the drama, Nurmagomedov’s cousin and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, stirred tensions by comparing the Irish MMA scene unfavorably to Dagestan’s elite talent pool. Hughes didn’t take kindly to these remarks and responded with accusations of steroid use against Team Nurmagomedov. Despite the animosity, Usman acknowledged Hughes as a respectable person off-camera.
“As a person, he’s not a bad guy,” Nurmagomedov shared. “We were literally joking around. I even told the promoters, ‘Hey, I see this guy too many times – every day. This is not good for me because I have to smash his face. How will I smash his face when I see him every day and we smile to each other?’ But Paul is not a bad guy.”
Nurmagomedov’s confidence in his abilities remains unshaken as he prepares to defend his title. The undefeated champion, who sees Hughes as just another name on his resume, believes his striking and overall skill set will outclass his challenger.
“He said when he punches me, something will change – but who can do that?” Nurmagomedov questioned. “Someone has punched me? Never. No. Nobody can touch me. … 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 about his plan in this fight, but I will follow my plans and do my job.”
As the fight draws near, all eyes are on Nurmagomedov to see if his prediction holds true. Will Hughes prove him wrong, or will Nurmagomedov continue his reign of dominance?
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