“You’re really the man. Brother, you are tough. Honestly, I underestimated this guy,” said Usman Nurmagomedov after his battle against Paul Hughes. There was recurring animosity between the fighters ahead of the bout, with Usman Nurmagomedov claiming he would finish Hughes. However, as the fight unfolded, the Irishman showcased why he is considered one of the best in the promotion. After the clash, Khabib Nurmagomedov invited Hughes to Dagestan, and the Irish fighter made one demand for it to happen.

Usman Nurmagomedov has a fashion of finishing his fights, however, all of his weapons failed to work against Paul Hughes, who visibly shook Nurmagomedov’s pride. Well, despite his best efforts, Hughes faced defeat by way of a majority decision but he earned the respect of the MMA community including Khabib Nurmagomedov, who invited his entire family and team to visit Dagestan.

So, will he accept this offer? He might as well, but he would likely need a rematch against Usman Nurmagomedov for it to happen. Paul Hughes took to his X handle to the former UFC lightweight champion, “Thankyou @TeamKhabib I have great respect for you, your team and your nation. I would be honored to take you up on this offer someday and then return the favor in Ireland But please, only after I get to rematch Usman.”

Will a rematch happen? Well, Paul Hughes might have to work a bit for the rematch, according to Usman Nurmagomedov. While having a conversation with the media, the undefeated champion stated, “For the rematch, no, he has to fight a couple of three or four more fights.”  The Dagestani fighter might not be willing to give Hughes another chance immediately but he is certain that the Irishman is a force to be reckoned with.

Usman Nurmagomedov confessed pain after Paul Hughes fight

Ahead of the clash, Usman Nurmagomedov confessed in an interview that he would finish the match in the same way Khabib Nurmagomedov did against Conor McGregor at UFC 229. However, Paul Hughes’s amazing fighting skills went beyond what he had anticipated. In his post-fight speech after their Fight of the Year contender, Nurmagomedov acknowledged just how good Hughes is.

“His wrestling defense, takedown defense [went] very well,” Nurmagomedov said. “He’s tough, he’s strong. I didn’t think he would be this strong, brother. Brother, you are really strong [laughs]. You tell me in the face to face, this was my mistake, you were right, brother. Thank you so much. I never take this damage, what I take with him in this fight. I have a lot of pain on my body. Brother, thank you for this fight.”

He further emphasized that the fight showed him his level and that he would have to work harder now. According to Usman, they took each other to a new level of fighting in Dubai.

The victory extended his winning streak to 19 fights. Regardless, what’s your take on their clash? Is an immediate rematch necessary? State your thoughts in the comments below.