For as much as there has been to criticize the PFL over the past 12 months as the promotion continues to make claims of where it stands as the co-leader in global MMA, Saturday’s main event of the inaugural PFL Champions Series in Dubai is a must-see event.
Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) will defend his Bellator MMA lightweight title for the final time now that PFL has announced it will sunset the Bellator brand name after acquiring what was left of the promotion in late 2023. The talented native of Dagestan, Russia, will take on Irish upstart Paul Hughes (13-1) inside Coca-Cola Arena in the promotion’s debut in the United Arab Emirates.
The matchup pairs together two of the most talented fighters on the PFL roster and has produced plenty of fodder and headlines in the build to the fight, largely due to Nurmagomedov’s cousin and trainer, Khabib Nurmagomedov, using the fight to go public on his thoughts regarding a debate between Irish and Dagestan MMA, which traces back to Khabib’s UFC rivalry with Conor McGregor.
The 26-year-od Nurmagomedov, who is also the younger brother of UFC bantamweight contender Umar, first captured the Bellator title in 2022 and has very much looked to fit in as far as lineage of great fighters once trained by his late uncle, Abdulmanap, which also includes current UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev.
Hughes, meanwhile, had previously plied his craft in Cage Warriors as a decorated featherweight champion before coming to PFL last year. The 27-year-old Irishman, who was born in Australia, also raised his profile considerably when he upset former Bellator champion AJ McKee last October via split decision.
Despite the hype brought to the table by Hughes, Nurmagomedov remains more than a 6-to-1 betting favorite. And in his mind, as Nurmagomedov told CBS Sports earlier this month, this is anything but a difficult matchup on paper for the cocky champion.
“It’s not a tough challenge for my career, let’s be honest,” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s not a tough challenge. A tough challenge in my career was my last fight [against Alexandr Shabily in September]. This guy, he’s not a tough challenge.
“Who said AJ McKee was a tough guy? Maybe [McKee is] for you but not for me. AJ McKee is a small, short guy for me. It’s the same for Paul Hughes, too. Look at this guy’s fight [with McKee] and look at my fight with Shabily and you will understand our levels. Brother, you watch MMA all your life, yes? How do you not understand? When you talk about levels, you need to understand.”
