Paul Hughes has made one thing clear: he’s not backing down from the Dagestani dynasty! At the PFL Champions Series 1 earlier this year, Hughes came up short against lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov after going to war for 5 rounds. After the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov offered him a chance to train with his team in Dagestan, to which Hughes replied by stating, “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.”

Now, after his 42-second dismantling of Bruno Miranda, ‘Big News’ has got the lightweight belt in his crosshairs yet again. In his post-fight interview, he made sure to put Usman Nurmagomedov and ‘Team Khabib’ on notice. The champion’s response? A cheeky jab at his rival and a promise to settle the score, but only when he feels like it!

Usman Nurmagomedov claps back at Paul Hughes’s call-out as the Dagestan vs Ireland rivalry heats up again

In front of a roaring crowd at the SSE Arena at the PFL Europe 1: Belfast event, Paul Hughes delivered violence with precision. The Irishman started the fight off in his trademark, calm and composed manner while he looked for gaps in Bruno Miranda’s armor. Then it happened.

Hughes caught a body kick, fired a brutal left hook, and flattened Miranda before the crowd could even settle in. The finish was swift, but his message afterward was even sharper. Taking the microphone and seemingly looking straight at the Dagestani champion, Hughes fired off by stating, “Usman Nurmagomedov, you can run, you can try and delay this rematch all you want, but you day is f— coming.”

A callout like that doesn’t echo in silence. The undefeated Nurmagomedov didn’t let it slide as he clapped back on X, writing, “I didn’t even know you were fighting. Congratulations, we will do it again, but it will happen when I say.” That wasn’t just a dismissive jab. It was a warning cloaked in cold confidence. The kind of calm and confident reply that makes you wonder: who really holds the power here?

And then came the jab from behind the curtain. Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, chimed in on social media with, “This guy funny, keep using Usman’s name to make himself relevant. Just focus on yourself.”

But Paul Hughes doesn’t want fame. He wants revenge. The judges gave the first encounter to Usman Nurmagomedov, but many saw a different fight and questioned the unanimous decision win for the Dagestani. Now, the pressure’s on the Nurmagomedovs. Khabib has long been the shield around his teammates with his coaching and guidance.

But if Usman is to face Hughes again, the camp must sharpen the sword, not just raise the guard. So here’s the question: will Usman answer the call, or keep trying to control the clock?

‘Big News’ blasts Nurmagomedov for delaying rematch after pushing him to the edge in their first fight

Paul Hughes knows that his time will come again to face Usman Nurmagomedov. In the aftermath of his razor-thin defeat, Hughes immediately asked for a rematch. But Nurmagomedov wasn’t keen on that idea, suggesting Hughes needed to prove himself in another fight first.

In a recent conversation with MMA Fighting, Hughes stated, “Look, he’s always going to try to extend that as long as he can because he got very, very close to losing his belt, It didn’t surprise me that much considering I believe I won the fight, as everyone knows.” That wasn’t lost on Hughes, who was confident he could’ve broken the champion if not for a head clash in the final round.

So why did he decide to take on Bruno Miranda instead of waiting for the rematch? After all, the Irishman did have the option to sit on the sidelines until the Dagetani couldn’t refuse his claims. According to Hughes, “Why not? I will continue to get better and fighting. And fight camps are where you get better.”

Well, with his stunning knockout over Miranda, ‘Big News’ has shown off the improvement in his game from the Usman loss till now. But the champion, on the other hand, seems content in controlling the narrative, but how long can he hold off the inevitable? When these two collide again, it won’t just be a fight for the belt, it will be a battle for pride, redemption, and the legacy of the Dagestani dynasty. Will ‘Team Khabib’ respond to Hughes’s challenge, or will there be more twists and turns in this story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!