Usman Nurmagomedov had another war on his hands but ultimately got the job done with a unanimous decision win over Paul Hughes in five-round classic to cap off PFL Dubai on Friday.
A punishing grappling
attack along with some well-timed strikes allowed Nurmagomedov to stay just far enough ahead that Hughes wasn’t quite able to catch up, although he definitely did his own damage in the fight. Hughes repeatedly got up from takedowns but Nurmagomedov was relentless as he made the most of his positional advantages to get the nod on the scorecards.
An incredibly close fight across five rounds les to the judges giving Nurmagomedov the fight with scores reading 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47. There were more than a few curious looks at that 50-45 scorecard but the result is still the same with Nurmagomedov winning and claiming the PFL lightweight title.
“Amazing feeling,” Nurmagomedov said about the win. “In front of my father I win this belt, I’m so happy. You want to say this fight was so close, too? I feel I was winning every round but it was a tough fight with a very tough opponent. Big respect for you, for your team guys. Big respect, brother.
The win puts Nurmagomedov at 2-0 over Hughes but it’s tough to believe these two won’t see each other again in the future. Both fights have produced instant classics for the PFL but in the end, Nurmagomedov remained undefeated with another statement win.
While it wasn’t the outcome he wanted, Hughes paid homage to Nurmagomedov on a job well done as he goes back to the drawing board and continues his pursuit of PFL gold.
“I will be back,” Hughes said. “Trust me, I will be back. Thank you Usman and his team as well, so much respect.”
Some early striking exchanges saw the lightweights trading leg kicks but a groin shot from Nurmagomedov paused the action momentarily in the opening round. On the restart, Nurmagomedov launched a couple of stiff kicks to the body before swooping inside to toss Hughes to the ground.
Nurmagomedov almost immediately advanced to take the back with Hughes stuck playing defense with the Russian on the attack. Just as Nurmagomedov started looking for a rear-naked choke, Hughes scrambled to escape before he snapped off a lightning quick combination to end the round.
With a definite grappling advantage, Nurmagomedov turned to his wrestling again but he couldn’t maintain control and that allowed Hughes to escape as he began winging huge shots trying to do damage. Hughes was connecting with better accuracy but Nurmagomedov was still landing his own shots as they continued trading bombs.
As the fight moved into the third round, Hughes was constantly going for the kill and Nurmagomedov was countering behind a stiff jab. Repeated calf kicks did start to pay off for Hughes, especially after he slammed home with thudding shot that had Nurmagomedov limping backwards momentarily.
Another groin strikes stopped Hughes in his track but referee Keith Peterson refused to take a point away and Nurmagomedov was able to secure a takedown on the restart. Hughes’ defense continued to pay dividends to avoid the grappling exchanges but he wasn’t producing as much offense, especially after Nurmagomedov cracked him with a hard body shot.
With five minutes remaining, Hughes snapped off a nasty lead jab that buckled Nurmagomedov’s knees briefly and that led to a takedown attempt. Hughes kept the fight standing and he delivered another stiff jab with Nurmagomedov’s coaches shouting at him to apply pressure and use his grappling.
Hughes continued marching forward, looking to set up his punches with Nurmagomedov operating off his back foot. While Hughes was throwing more, Nurmagomedov was still snapping his head back with some well-timed strikes before setting up a late takedown just before time expired.
It was a back-and-forth battle throughout but Nurmagomedov’s grappling likely weighed heavy in the judges’ minds as he secured the victory in the end. With the win, Nurmagomedov is already looking towards the future with 2025 PFL tournament winner Alfie Davis next in line for the title shot.
“Alfie Davis, any time anywhere, I’m waiting for you,” Nurmagomedov shouted. “Just let me know.”
