
Irish MMA star Paul Hughes has voiced his frustration over the judging of his Bellator lightweight title bout against Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai, labeling the decision “pretty ridiculous.”
Despite a valiant effort, Hughes fell short as Nurmagomedov retained his belt and extended his unbeaten record to 19-0 with scores of 47-47, 48-46, and 48-46.
Hughes Questions Judges’ Decision
Hughes took to Instagram to share his disappointment:
“As always, I’m going to have to watch it back to get a good assessment, but we all thought I won that one. The judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous.”
The 27-year-old challenger highlighted the energy in the arena as an indicator that he believed he had done enough to claim victory.
Momentum Shift After Head Clash
A pivotal moment came in the fourth round when a clash of heads caused a stoppage. The incident left Hughes with a cut and gave Nurmagomedov time to recover.
When the fight resumed, Nurmagomedov ended the round strongly with a takedown and continued to land critical strikes in the fifth, including kicks to Hughes’ thigh.
Hughes reflected on the impact of the stoppage:
“I felt like the stoppage in the fourth round with the head clash changed the momentum of the fight. I was breaking him, ripping him to the body. I knew my momentum was building, but that stoppage gave him recovery time.”
Call for a Rematch
Hughes remains determined to secure a rematch, confident he can perform even better:
“I’m not going to make excuses. I should have pushed harder, and I will next time. I know we’ll fight again.”
What’s Next?
While Nurmagomedov celebrated his hard-fought victory, Hughes has reinforced his position as a top contender in the lightweight division. With fans and fighters alike calling for a rematch, the rivalry between these two is far from over.
