In the aftermath of the clash between his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov and Irish star Paul Hughes, Khabib Nurmagomedov assured everyone that he had nothing but respect for Ireland and its fighters, easing the tension between the fans and the 155lbs duo. Moreover, ‘The Eagle’ even extended an invitation to the 27-year-old Belfast native, claiming that he could come and train in Dagestan if he wished to. Well, guess what? Hughes seems to be pretty grateful for that offer from the undefeated legend.
For those unfamiliar, Hughes came agonizingly close at PFL Road to Dubai, narrowly losing after an intense battle for the Bellator 155lbs title. Even Usman admitted he had underestimated the Irishman before stepping into the cage with him. The 27-year-old’s performance didn’t go unnoticed—he earned the Dagestani clan’s respect in a heartwarming post-fight interaction. While Hughes is more than willing to accept Khabib’s offer, he has unfinished business to take care of first. A rematch with Usman seems inevitable, and the Belfast native is determined to even the score before setting foot on Nurmagomedov’s home turf.
“[I will] certainly [accept Khabib’s invite to Dagestan] one day. Definitely not before I beat Usman and put that all to bed,” Paul Hughes told ‘talkSport MMA’. He even disclosed his plans to repay Khabib for his offer to help him in training. Hughes has left the door of his hometown Belfast open for any Dagestani fighter who wishes to join him there to train.
“That’s a tremendously generous offer that I certainly don’t take lightly. So, I would absolutely take that offer up in the future and then return the favor for anybody who wants to come train here in Belfast,” Paul Hughes added.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 10, 2020: Russian MMA fighters, UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov L and Usman Nurmagomedov at Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament Fight Nights Global/GFC at Irina Viner-Usmanova Rhythmic gymnastics, Rhythmische Sportgymnastik, RSG Center. Sergei Savostyanov/TASS PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxONLY TS0E682C
Well, in addition to Nurmagomedov’s offer to train, Hughes also recently received support from his rival Usman. This support catered to the fallout between the young Irishman and Conor McGregor. Let’s see what the hubbub is all about!
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin backs Paul Hughes
After the post-fight conversation between Paul Hughes and Khabib Nurmagomedov got leaked, Conor McGregor went on some expletive rants about the young Irish fighter. But what prompted such a response from the former double champ? In a post-fight video, Hughes told ‘Team Khabib’ that he’s his own man – and that he shouldn’t be compared to Khabib’s arch-nemesis.
“I’m not like this other guy, I’m my own man, I’m not like this other guy,” Hughes told Khabib, before reiterating to Usman, “The media try and make us like not respect, but you know that I always have respect [for you].”
This led McGregor’s tune to change drastically and he lambasted the young Irishman. “Lick my a– I’m farting in your face. Foreign hairy hole a– licker. Yup, the real Irish f— these vermin f—. Get that flag off you, you little know what you are c— from up there.”
‘The Eagle’ would support Hughes on social media while rubbing salt on the former double champion’s wounds with the civil lawsuit loss reminder. Now, even Usman Nurmagomedov has backed Hughes, praising him for the restraint he showed in clapping back at McGregor for all the insults ‘The Notorious’ laid on the 27-year-old.
“Honestly, it [the situation between McGregor and Hughes] was crazy. Paul is a good guy. We spoke with him a little bit. He’s a really good guy,” Usman Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “Because everyone right now living on the phone, on the media they’re watching, they’re following. When you show these people some bad examples, this is very bad. You have to understand, brother, a lot of people watching you. You have to be good example.”
There’s no word on what’s next for Paul Hughes and Usman Nurmagomedov, but judging how the last fight caught the attention of almost every MMA fan, a rematch could be a no-brainer. Moreover, some have dubbed this fight as perhaps the greatest fight in promotional history. What do you reckon? Let us know in the comments down below.
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