Paul Hughes is expressing considerable frustration with PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, feeling the undefeated fighter is constantly shifting the conditions required for their highly anticipated rematch.
Their initial encounter in January was a contender for Fight of the Year. Nurmagomedov secured a razor-thin majority decision victory, pushed to the brink of his first professional loss by Hughes. The immediate aftermath saw widespread calls for a rematch, but Nurmagomedov stipulated that Hughes needed to secure another victory first. Hughes promptly met this condition.
In May, fighting in his hometown of Belfast, Hughes delivered a stunning 42-second knockout win over veteran Bruno Miranda. This dominant performance seemingly solidified his position as the clear top contender. Opting not to wait for the promotion, Hughes took matters into his own hands, contacting Nurmagomedov directly to arrange the rematch, but found the response unsatisfactory.
“I now know for certain that this individual is attempting to postpone this rematch,” Hughes stated. “Because I went straight to him. I texted him myself last week asking what was happening and requesting the rematch immediately.”
“His response was again, ‘you have to win one more fight, brother.’ So, receiving that directly from him confirms he is trying to delay things.”
Following their first fight, Hughes displayed respect towards Nurmagomedov and his corner, which included UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib himself offered high praise for the Irish fighter`s performance and his challenge to his cousin`s title.
While Hughes doesn`t regret the respect shown, he admits that the events since the fight, particularly Nurmagomedov`s continued insistence on another win before the rematch, have fueled his frustration.
“I was completely fed up,” Hughes declared. “I’m tired of all these excuses. I thought I should go directly to him. Based on what he said last week – ‘you’ve got to win one more fight, brother’ – he`s clearly not the one making the final call. This fight will happen.”
Regardless of Nurmagomedov`s demands for another fight, Hughes feels he has fulfilled the requirement by defeating Miranda in under a minute. Although an immediate rematch was his preference, the 28-year-old lightweight readily accepted the PFL`s offer for a different fight, particularly as it allowed him to headline an event in his native Ireland.
However, Hughes is certain that his recent dominant win is more than sufficient to warrant what is potentially the most anticipated rematch in PFL history, regardless of Nurmagomedov`s opinion.
“This fight absolutely must take place,” Hughes asserted. “Everyone wants to see it happen. The PFL wants it, and the promoters in Dubai want it. The only individual who clearly seems unwilling for this fight to happen right now is Usman Nurmagomedov.”
“If for some reason the fight doesn`t happen, you`ll know exactly why. However, I don`t believe that will be the outcome. I am confident it will occur. I believe the promotion and the Dubai government hold more influence than a single fighter. Therefore, the fight is necessary and I expect it to happen this September or October.”
Shortly after disclosing the text conversation with Nurmagomedov, Hughes observed the PFL announcing a bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan for June 20th. This announcement included the stipulation that “the winner of this fight becomes the No. 1 contender for the PFL lightweight world title and will be next in line to face current champion Usman Nurmagomedov.”
Predictably, this news did not sit well with Hughes.
On Twitter, Hughes reacted, stating, “Hey, stop with the rage bait.”
Despite the conflicting promotional messages, Hughes remains convinced that the PFL will ultimately book the rematch, asserting that Nurmagomedov will be unable to prevent it.
“He is plainly trying to put off this fight,” Hughes stated emphatically. “Frankly, he probably shouldn`t have even replied to my text. He wants to postpone this for a very obvious reason: he knows I will defeat him in the rematch. He experienced my intensity in the cage. He understands I am pursuing him relentlessly. He knows this rematch means everything to me. I`m genuinely not sure if it means the same to him. But his time is coming. As I mentioned after our first fight, he can attempt to delay this all he wants, but his moment of reckoning is approaching.”
Hughes has consistently felt that he deserved the victory in their initial contest against Nurmagomedov. However, acknowledging he couldn`t alter the judges` decision, he didn`t protest when the PFL scheduled him for a different fight rather than an immediate rematch.
Now, however, Hughes suspects Nurmagomedov is merely attempting to avoid the inevitable by creating further obstacles before their next encounter.
“Frankly, that guy is in trouble,” Hughes asserted. “He is in serious trouble when I get my hands on him again. Let`s just put it that way. I am training relentlessly every single day specifically for this fight. He has absolutely no comprehension of what awaits him.”
