Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t make noise unless it counts. And when the Dagestani great hit the mic recently, he didn’t tease, posture, or generate suspense; he just delivered what fans had been waiting for. There would be a rematch. A real one. Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes. And this time, it’s taking place in Dubai.

The announcement ended a lengthy, frustrating wait for two individuals with very different motivations. Hughes wanted redemption, while Usman sought proof. Their first fight, an adrenaline-pumping five-rounder in January, left enough bad blood and razor-thin margins to spark a second act.

However, delays, deflections, and public posturing had obscured the route ahead. Now, that cloud has lifted. “It was a hard fight,” Khabib said of the PFL world championship, reflecting on Usman’s previous win by a razor-thin margin. “He’s fighting October 4 in Dubai with the same guy.” But what followed was classic Khabib: less a statement, more a lesson.

“I hope you don’t try to take from me advice. You never have. I want you to do this by yourself. Because you cannot take that from me.” The message was intended for Usman, but its significance extended to anybody who paid attention. Pressure from within the family can be considerably more powerful than anything outside the cage.

The stakes aren’t just personal; they’re cultural. This isn’t just Dagestan versus Ireland again. Hughes has gone out of his way to distinguish himself from the Conor McGregor mold, earning surprise appreciation from Khabib Nurmagomedov himself. But the tension remains.

This isn’t a money fight or a show fight; it’s the kind of animosity that lasts long after the final bell rings. In fact, even this announcement was a long time in the making, as it took a real effort for Hughes to make it all happen. Whether it be direct callouts or a duck stunt, that surely went viral on the internet.

Paul Hughes ‘duck’ stunt finally worked its charm

It wasn’t simply words that led him there. If Usman’s silence was an obstacle, Paul Hughes used theater to break through it. Hughes skipped subtlety entirely, arriving cageside at PFL Belgium with a rubber duck pointed directly at the cameras. The message was loud, obvious, and impossible to miss. He wasn’t just accusing Usman Nurmagomedov of ducking the rematch; he was branding him with it.

It was cheeky, calculated, and effective. Hughes followed up with a cryptic “October” caption on Instagram, intercutting clips from their first bout with his knockout victory over Bruno Miranda. That post alone made waves in PFL circles. This was the fuel that ignited an already hot rivalry, finally making the rematch official.

Even Caolan Loughran chipped in, echoing the same “October” tease. The duck was no longer a joke; it represented a deadline. Now, October 4 is no longer a question mark. It’s now a date circled in red across two nations and two camps with unfinished business. And in the world of MMA, that usually means one thing: chaos is coming.