After Humiliation to Nurmagomedov’s, Khabib Hits Back as Usman Gets Bragging Rights Over Ireland

Team Khabib needed a redemption victory to salvage their reputation after Umar Nurmagomedov’s defeat at UFC 311. Usman Nurmagomedov, his brother, stepped up and delivered, emerging victorious against his opponent at PFL Dubai. The Bellator lightweight champion fought a tough battle against Hughes, with the fight going to distance. The crowd applauded the Irish fighter for standing by his words and giving the Dagestani the fight of his life. Amidst the chaos, Khabib Nurmagomedov has come forward to give a word of advice to his cousin.

Former UFC lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov took to his Instagram handle to share a picture of Usman, Umar, himself with his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and captioned it as, “Congratulations, Brother @usman_nurmagomedov, on another successful title defense! You have done a great job in the big arena over the past couple of years, and of course, a great job at the hall in your life.”

He further added, “You’re going to show the world a lot of mixed martial arts, and you’re only getting started; you still continue to learn and get stronger with each fight. Keep working harder. The further you go, the harder your opponents will be!” This was a much-needed victory for Team Khabib, as their morale was a bit gloomy after Umar Nurmagomedov’s defeat.

However, one must note that Paul Hughes came way too close to defeating the Bellator champion. The Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai was packed with 17,000 people, and the main event of the night started with the fighters locking in against each other. Usman Nurmagomedov appears to have highly underestimated Hughes as the fighter failed to finish the match.

The Bellator champion attempted to out-strike the Irish fighter, but his effort fell short as Hughes maintained relentless pressure on the Dagestani fighter. In the middle of the match, the Irishman injured Nurmagomedov, and the fight was briefly paused due to a head clash that left both fighters injured. After a hard-fought battle, the judges ruled the fight in favor of the Dagestani with a scoring of (47-47, 48-46, 48-46). Well, many within the community believe that the fight was so close that Hughes had a huge chance of winning and even the Irishman is of the opinion as well.

Paul Hughes reacts to obnoxious scoring after defeat against Usman Nurmagomedov

Paul Hughes was the underdog in the fight, but despite the defeat, the Irishman showcased his potential as one of the best. Well, Hughes is not content with the scorecards. Despite Nurmagomedov’s receiving a point deduction for low blows in round 3, two judges scored the fight 48-46 in his favor, while the third had it a 47-47 draw. Hughes was left heartbroken as he took to his Instagram handle to express his disappointment.

“We all thought I won that one,” Hughes said post-fight on Instagram. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage who thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”

Paul Hughes believes that the head clash in the fourth round diverted his fighting rhythm a bit, but he did carry on with his own tempo. Regardless, the clash has finally ended with a much-needed victory for Team Khabib. What are your thoughts on the fight? Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov would be content with it? State your opinion in the comments below.