Paul Hughes is staring down the barrel of a career culmination. “This is my life’s work. This is everything.” He is one half of the most anticipated rematch in MMA, squaring off against the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov with PFL lightweight gold on the line. Their first bout back in January, which went to Usman by the way of majority decision, was an instant fight of the year contender. On Friday night, Hughes is out to settle the score.
Hughes was left heartbroken by the scorecards when the pair first locked horns. “I feel like I definitely did enough to win, and I feel like I should have got my hand raised,” he told The Independent. He isn’t letting old wounds dominate his psyche, however. “At this point, I don’t give a flying f***. I get to fight him in a week.”
Usman admitted that he underestimated Hughes going into the first fight, saying, “That was almost a big mistake,” but keeping hold of his belt by the skin of his teeth – despite being deducted a point for an accidental headbutt. The cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is still oozing with confidence, stating that the Russian entering the cage in Dubai will be unrecognisable to the fighter that fought eight months ago. “For this fight, I can only say one thing. He will have to be ready because I’m coming. This is not the same Usman who was in January. This is a different Usman.”
Hughes, conversely, is the same man with the same heart – he’s just far more equipped to reach his mountain top. “ He’s not fighting a different Paul, but he’s fighting a way better prepared Paul with a way better gameplan.”
The 28-year-old from County Derry is leading something of a second Irish revolution in MMA. With the fitting nickname of “Big News”, one that was bestowed upon him by Conor McGregor before their relationship soured, Hughes is garnering reactions akin to those seen during the earth-shattering era of “Mystic Mac”. His 42-second knockout in Belfast back in May produced one of the most deafening explosions of noise you could ever experience – one that gave the PFL no choice but to nail down this rematch.
“To be carrying the torch for Irish MMA is a great privilege and great honour, something I don’t take lightly,” Hughes said. “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.”
Having stepped into the pro-Nurmagomedov lion’s den of Dubai at the beginning of the year, Hughes’s one post-fight wish was indeed to run it back in his homeland, in Belfast. That wish was not granted by the PFL. “I just need to make sure that the trilogy fight is in Belfast,” he said, only now thinking on a greater scale. After Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donavon threw down for IBF gold at the city’s iconic 18,500-capacity stadium, Windsor Park, Hughes wants to follow suit. “Hundred per cent [that’s the dream], why the f*** not?”
And so, on Friday night, the pride of Ireland will take on one of Dagestan’s many immovable objects. We’ve been here before; there is an obvious comparison to make with one of the biggest bouts in the sport’s history.
Khabib vs McGregor, and the chaos that surrounded it, emerges from fans’ collective memory whenever fighters from these two nations square off. However, this is not a continuation of that rivalry. In fact, that narrative borderline infuriates Hughes and Usman.
“Don’t talk about this guy,” was Usman’s blunt response when I asked him if he saw parallels between his rivalry and the one that consumed his cousin seven years ago. It was unequivocal and admittedly fair. They are not fighting someone else’s battle; this is their own war. And in many ways, they are repairing the damage done in 2018.
Class has prevailed throughout the story written by Hughes and Usman – a far cry from the volatility between Khabib and McGregor. “ I think whenever you fight somebody, especially over five rounds, you garner a certain level of respect,” Hughes said. It’s a sentiment echoed by his opponent. “I really respect him,” Usman added. “I respect his skills. He’s a good fighter – the first time, I underestimated him.” But the impact of their rivalry goes beyond the two fighters.
After pushing the undefeated champion to his absolute limits the first time around, Hughes won the adulation of a partisan crowd. Khabib later invited him to train in Dagestan, an offer Hughes accepted on the condition he got his rematch. That condition has since changed, with Hughes not content with leaving the score at one apiece. “We need the trilogy.” Regardless of when such a trip comes to fruition, this rivalry has catalysed the healing of what was previously a fractured relationship between the MMA communities of Ireland and Russia.
Yet in the interest of writing their own history, Hughes has played this down. “I think it’s not that deep to be honest. That’s just two people that had their own beef. It was certainly a good marketing angle to take for the first fight, and it definitely added to the whole build-up, but ultimately now this about Paul Hughes vs Usman Nurmagomedov. And that’s it.”
While dollies aren’t being thrown through bus windows in this feud, there is crucially still heat between these two men, with everything on the line. Yet speaking on the respect the duo share, Hughes said: “I don’t think that takes away anything from how much we’re going to be trying to murder each other on the night. He’s trying to take away my dreams. He’s trying to take away this trajectory that I now have in my career. If I go 0-2 in two title fights, that’s not good. So yeah, there’s heat.”
Hughes left Dubai in January not with the belt but with the people’s hearts, despite being the status-quo villain. He returns with the sole intention of avenging previous heartache at the expense of the “home favourite”. He thus feels that any goodwill he earned eight months ago will be unapparent come ring walks. “For sure, I’ve gained a lot of fans since the last time, but when it comes to the night, are they gonna cheer for me when I’m walking out? I don’t know. I don’t think so. I think they’re gonna save all their cheers for their guy.”
But as the latest in a legendary line of fighting flagbearers for the Emerald Isle, Hughes won’t be lacking in support. “Don’t worry, I’ve got many, many Irish going to be there that night. You’re talking in the thousands. We’re going to make some noise.”
