Paul Hughes said Usman Nurmagomedov's assessment that he is not in the same league as the Dagestani does not faze him, and that he will do his talking in the cage when the two fighters meet in an eagerly awaited rematch in Dubai next month.
Irishman Hughes lost a majority decision to Nurmagomedov in January's fight-of-the-year contender that saw the champion retain his PFL lightweight belt.
The two clash again on October 3 at the Coca-Cola Arena, headlining the “PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai – The Rematch”.
It was only the second defeat of Hughes' career, but the Irishman bounced back in spectacular style in May, blasting out Brazilian Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds at a packed SSE Arena in Belfast.
During a promotional event in Dubai on September 9, Nurmagomedov had said that, in his opinion, Hughes “is not in this league” and that he would put a full stop on their rivalry when they meet again.
“It doesn’t make me feel anything at this point just two weeks away,” Hughes said to a question asked by The National during a Zoom round-table to promote the event on Wednesday. “I’ll do the talking then.
“I don’t feel disrespected. I think it's just business. Yeah, that's just how this game goes. But I obviously earned this rematch by getting the 42-second knockout. So it's also the fight that the fans want to see.”
Nurmagomedov's win over Hughes extended his unbeaten record to 19 wins (one no contest). He took a majority decision after two judges awarded the score 48-46 in favour of the champion while the remaining one declared it 47-47. Most observers viewed the fight as close, something the Dagestani flatly rejects.
“Honestly, I'm tired of hearing it was a close fight,” Nurmagomedov said. “Maybe you guys want to make me think it was a close fight. But in my mind it wasn't.
“When you talk about a close fight, you guys, first of all, think about this, OK? I didn’t even lose one round. It was a draw [the other] round.”
The 27-year-old champion warned his opponent to expect a different fighter when they meet on October 3, saying he was not at his best during their first bout in January.
“For this fight, I can say only one thing: He has to be ready because I'm coming,” Nurmagomedov said.
“This is not the same Usman who was in January. This is different Usman. And I know he's going to be different, too. That's why I think this is most, like, one of the best fights this year.”
Though he stands by his assessment that Hughes is not on the same level as him, Nurmagomedov admits he underestimated his opponent during their first match. He vowed there would be no repeat of that mindset in the second.
“I really respect him, I respect all skills and he's a good fighter. Now, because of the first time I underestimated him, and this was big mistake. But this time I will respect him and I will go to this fight like I don't want to repeat this mistake again.”
Nurmagomedov certainly has a big fan base behind him, but Hughes can count on Dubai's sizeable Irish expat community, as well as the many travelling fans from home, to have his back.
Hughes also believes success in Dubai could open the doors for a PFL fight night back home in Northern Ireland. Last weekend, Lewis Crocker's boxing rematch with Paddy Donovan drew 20,000 fans to Windsor Park in Belfast.
“It means the world. A great privilege and honour to kind of be carrying the torch for Irish MMA,” Hughes said.
“It’s something I don't take lightly, and while doing that, what I want to do is create these big nights for not only myself but also for my teammates, for my fellow countrymen, to bring big-time MMA back to Ireland as well.”
