The weigh-ins are in the books for the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. Lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes is getting the revamped labels of Dagestan vs. Ireland 2; some of the fans are here for the second chapter in the heated rivalry. To that end, a ginormous brawl broke out during the recent weigh-ins.
In the main event, Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will put his former promotion’s strap on the line. As if January wasn’t Nurmagomedov enough, he happens to be the cousin of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. Top contender Paul Hughes (13-1) is an Irish standout, thus fueling the PFL’s Dagestan vs. Ireland 2 branding. After their official weigh-ins, a mob skirmish went viral.
The #RoadToDubai Weigh-Ins were open to all from 3:30 PM at the Coca-Cola Arena Plaza, City Walk – Kite Beach. A massive brawl broke out with people shoving it out! Think what would have been if prime propellant Conor McGregor did end up cornering Hughes.
The Dagestan vs. Ireland 2 MMA topic has been a profound pit since the UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor PPV event. Going at a $2.4 million buy rate, it increased the penchant for chaos the combat sports clique had not seen before.
😳😳😳
👑 Usman Nurmagomedov 🆚 Paul Hughes 🇮🇪
DAGESTAN VS IRELAND 2 GOES DOWN TOMORROW NIGHT!
LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN! 🎟️ https://t.co/HZ3ZYOF6lF#RoadtoDubai | TOMORROW | Coca-Cola Arena | Dubai, UAE | LIVE on MAX pic.twitter.com/br4DyrCLqo
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 24, 2025
🚨DEVELOPING: A brawl between Dagestani and Irish fans kicked off after the ceremonial weigh-ins for Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes. 😳👊 #PFLRoadtoDubai pic.twitter.com/ByfA6ARPmw
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) January 24, 2025
Both Usman Nurmagomedov (154.9) and Paul Hughes (155) made championship weight. The duo have had charged banters but nothing along the lines of a national diss. Nurmagomedov even clarified his cousin’s somewhat crass take on Ireland’s MMA talent being lower than theirs. The mob brawl proved a different wrinkle, but the floodgates are now open. Both the fighters have lofty ideas about it.
Paul Hughes vows to take Usman Nurmagomedov ‘to the depths of hell’ in their title matchup
The 2024 PFL season has seen several local success stories. Britain’s newest MMA millionaire, Dakota Ditcheva, became a world champion in December. She bagged the PFL’s $1 million flyweight tournament. Manchester’s own Lewis McGrillen also snagged gold to become PFL Europe’s bantamweight champion in the same month.
Paul Hughes promises great things at Champions Series: Road to Dubai – Dagestan vs. Ireland 2 showdown (Source: X)Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0, 1 NC) is yet another big name in the PFL link and a stiff test on the way to gold. He is fresh off a successful title defense over Alexandr Shabliy. Paul “Big News” Hughes also has an impressive seven-fight win streak. It includes a split decision win over A.J. McKee and a TKO stoppage of Bobby King.
The circumstances of the headline bout are eerily similar to Conor McGregor vs Khabib; hence, the Dagestan vs. Ireland 2. The Irish fighter knows what’s ahead. Team Khabib has named their fighter one of the top-5 fighters in competition. Consequently, he gets the hype surrounding the Bellator lightweight champion and wants to overcome it.
Whether or not they’re just trying to hype him up or whether or not he is that [good], there’s plenty of tape on him, …I’ve studied him a lot. I know where his weaknesses are. I know how to utilize my game plan to expose those weaknesses. It’s a different game when you’re fighting me…That’s good that they’re saying that because when I beat him, it’s going to be all that more impressive…I know I can bring him to the depths of hell.
Paul Hughes to MMAFighting on SBNation Network
If anything, Hughes believes Nurmagomedov is as good as advertised. A fierce wrestler with incredible ground control, Nurmagomedov has a natural ability to drown his opponents. Hughes expects the Bellator champion to come at him with much of the same intensity. However, the Irishman promises a different result at the Champions Series: Road to Dubai event headliner.
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