Usman Nurmagomedov retained his PFL lightweight world title with a controversial points win over Ireland’s Paul Hughes on Friday night in Dubai.
Eight months after claiming a narrow and disputed victory in their first bout, the Russian once again emerged as the winner in a tense five-round rematch. This time, however, the scorecards appeared even more contentious, with the judges scoring it 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 in favour of Nurmagomedov.
“You want to say this fight was close too? I feel I won every round,” Nurmagomedov said after the fight. “It was a very tough fight with a tough opponent.”
Hughes, 28, was widely praised for his performance, controlling much of the action at close range and clearly taking rounds two and three. Despite suffering several low blows and a headbutt after the first-round bell, the Derry native remained composed and delivered some of the bout’s most eye-catching moments, including a body shot and head kick combination and a powerful right hand late in the fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, cousin of the champion and a UFC legend, was heard urging Usman to step up his efforts throughout the contest. At times, the champion responded by showboating rather than engaging.
Takedowns proved key for Nurmagomedov, who landed three during the fight including one in the closing seconds. While they helped swing rounds on the scorecards, he was unable to mount any serious submission threats, with Hughes expertly defending a rear-naked choke in the first round and escaping further danger on the ground.
In a fiery moment after the final exchange, Hughes directed a taunt at his opponent, shouting: “Why are you running?” as Nurmagomedov backed away.
Despite his disappointment, Hughes showed sportsmanship by applauding his opponent after the result was confirmed.
“They told me I wasn’t getting a post-fight interview, but I had to get one to thank my fans for travelling here,” Hughes said. “I will be back, I promise I will be back.”
Khabib paid tribute to Hughes in the aftermath. “First of all I want to say thank you Paul, because of this guy we have pushed Usman so hard the last eight months,” he said.
With Hughes now having lost twice to Nurmagomedov, talk of a trilogy is likely to fade. Nurmagomedov, still unbeaten at 21-0, has one fight remaining on his PFL contract and is widely expected to join the UFC in 2026, especially with team-mate Islam Makhachev vacating the UFC lightweight division to move up in weight.
