Déjà vu for Hughes in another controversy-laden Nurmagomedov loss
A since-deleted Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes scorecard featuring two scoring errors. Source: PFL PR
By Fionn Murray
Irish MMA fighter Paul Hughes was once again defeated by Dagestan’s Usman Nurmagomedov in contentious fashion in a rematch for the inaugural PFL lightweight title in Dubai on Friday night.
The judges scored the fight 50-45, 49-46, and 48-47 in favour of Nurmagomedov in what had seemed to be a razor-thin contest throughout.
The PFL commentary team, as well as many in the MMA world, have voiced their dismay at the scorecards of judges Bryan Miner, who scored all rounds for Nurmagomedov, and Hadi Ali, who scored only the third frame for Hughes.
The bout came eight months after the pair’s first meeting in January, when Nurmagomedov was declared the winner by majority decision.
The second fight played out similarly to the first, with Nurmagomedov getting the better of the grappling exchanges and Hughes landing the more significant shots on the feet, although Hughes’ takedown defence and Nurmagomedov’s long jab were not without their impact.
Another commonality between the two fights was the impact of low blows on the complexion of the bouts. In January, Nurmagomedov had been deducted a point for repeatedly kicking below the belt, but was spared the same punishment this time around, despite the contest again being stopped twice due to similar infringements.
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, while much of social media questioned the legitimacy of the decision, PFL Public Relations twice published arithmetically incorrect judges’ scorecards to their X account, further aggravating the confusion surrounding the fight’s result.
Nurmagomedov, 27, coached by his cousin, MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, now boasts a record of 20-0 (1) and becomes the PFL lightweight champion, having previously held the Bellator championship until it was made defunct after the 2023 PFL-Bellator merger.
Hughes, 28, who was raised in Co. Derry and trains in Belfast, walked out to a rendition of the Irish classic Grace, and was cheered on by a sizeable contingent of Irish expats and travelling fans. This loss moves his record to 14-3, but his performance reiterated the fact that he belongs at the very top of the MMA landscape.
