Usman Nurmagomedov says Paul Hughes hopeless in title fight: ‘Nobody can touch me’

January 12, 2025 3:30 pm ET

Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Paul Hughes is a viable threat to his Bellator lightweight title.

With Nurmagomedov (18-0) short on fresh contenders, however, he accepts Hughes (13-1) as the challenger to his throne when they meet in the main event of PFL’s Road to Dubai card Jan. 25. But with just two victories in the promotion and only one notable result over A.J. McKee in October, the champ doesn’t really see Hughes as worthy.

“It was not a crazy fight (with McKee),” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “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.”

There is some degree of tension going into the matchup. Nurmagomedov’s coach and cousin Khabib threw fuel on the promotional fire by taking shots at the level of Irish MMA compared to Dagestan, and those comments have not sat well with Hughes, who has made claims of steroid use toward the opposing team.

Nurmagomedov, 26, agrees with Khabib that his region of the world has the superior talent, but he’s not letting Hughes’ outrage concern him. He’s recently spent time around Hughes, 27, and vouches for him as a solid person while dismissing any trash talk as pre-fight hype.

“As a person, he’s not a bad guy,” Nurmagomedov said. “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. If people think Paul Hughes is a bullsh*t guy, he is not. He is a good guy. As a man, he is not a bad guy.

“In my opinion, he is promoting this fight. That’s it. He won’t make his name on me. He knows this is a way to change his life in a good way. But sorry, Paul. Everybody will remember him only for losing a fight vs. Usman Nurmagomedov. That’s it.”

Nurmagomedov, who has never tasted defeat in his career, is keen to log another title defense on his resume and show why he is a superior talent in the sport. In his mind, Hughes will have nothing to offer in the cage.

“He said when he punches me, something will change – but who can do that?” Nurmagomedov said. “Someone has punched me? Never. No. Nobody can touch me. … Sometimes, I’m really thinking like, ‘How can be 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. I don’t care what he will do.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

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