Dagestani fighter and Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov put his title on the line to battle Irishman Paul Hughes, and he emerged victorious only by a hair’s breadth.
The bout took place at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and was a bloody night that left fans grimacing. The event center was packed full with fans and a star-studded team in both corners, but the fighters had an eye for only each other as they stepped into the cage. They came in with tentative steps, both approaching cautiously, but Usman made the first move with a low blow. He went in for a takedown, but Hughes dodged this with each and landed punishing body shots that left Nurmagomedov surprised and doubting his early opinion about Hughes. The champ also displayed tactical skills and aimed mainly for the Irishman’s legs with savage kicks.
Usman went in for a body kick but was soon on the canva after Hughes reversed his takedown. Usman switched to his superior striking, firing shots after shots, but Hughes managed to stay in the fight with good defense and strikes. The two continued, Hughes pushing the pace while Usman remained on the attack until the round ended.
Usman came in guns blazing in the third round, with takedown after takedown, which left the Irishman winded. The champ continued to land nasty shots, but Hughes remained unpeturbed and landed savage shots of his own. He continued eating Usman’s punches while staying on his feet. Hughes put his all into the fourth round and landed a big right that rocked the champ, but Usman countered with a hard blow that opened a cut on Hughes’s forehead that had to be attended to. After the fight resumed, Usman went in for a takedown before landing blow after blow till the round came to an end. The final/ championship round was the same as the fourth, with both opponents slugging it out, but in the end, Usman Nurmagomedov emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
Although both fighters left the cage with respect for each other and Usman admitted that the Irishman had made him a better fighter, Hughes still believes he was deserving of the title. The fighter posted an Instagram video addressing his defeat to Usman Nurmagomedov.
“Obviously, as always, I’m going to have to watch it back to get a good assessment and a clear-minded assessment, but as we know, we all thought I won that one,” Hughes said. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous, but as I say, I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage. I thought it was mine.
“I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. I should’ve pushed harder, and I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”
Usman Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, believes the fighter may need two or more fights before he can visit a rematch battle with him. The champ admits he was a bit taken aback by Hughes’s ferocity in the cage. He says he undermined the Irishman by saying he wasn’t worthy of the title shot, but after being in the cage with him, he gives him credit and says he had a misguided assumption about the fighter.
“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.”
“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 face-to-face that 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.”
