Paul Hughes is growing increasingly frustrated with Usman Nurmagomedov`s shifting demands regarding their potential rematch.
Their initial fight in January was a standout bout, with Nurmagomedov narrowly securing a majority decision victory after being pushed close to his first loss by Hughes. An immediate rematch was widely expected, but Nurmagomedov stipulated that Hughes first needed another win, a condition Hughes promptly met.
In May, Hughes impressively knocked out veteran Bruno Miranda in only 42 seconds during a highly anticipated homecoming fight in Belfast. This decisive win appeared to solidify his position as the top contender. Instead of waiting for the promotion (PFL) to arrange the fight, Hughes contacted Nurmagomedov directly to push for the rematch, but was met with a response he found unsatisfactory.
“I now know for certain he`s trying to postpone this rematch,” Hughes stated. “I went directly to the source, texting him last week to ask, `What`s happening? Rematch now.`”
Hughes recounted, “He repeated, `You need to win one more fight, brother.` That message, directly from him, proves he`s attempting to delay.”
Following their first encounter, Hughes showed respect towards Nurmagomedov and his corner, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, who praised the Irish fighter`s performance and challenge to his cousin`s title.
While he stands by his respectful conduct then, Hughes concedes that Nurmagomedov`s subsequent insistence on another victory before the rematch is fueling his anger regarding the situation.
“I was completely fed up,” Hughes declared. “I`m tired of all his nonsense. I figured I might as well contact him directly. His message last week said `you`ve got to win one more fight, brother,` but ultimately, he`s not the boss. This rematch is going to happen.”
Regardless of Nurmagomedov`s demands for an additional win, Hughes feels he fulfilled his obligation by quickly defeating Miranda. Although he would have preferred the immediate rematch, the 28-year-old fighter readily accepted a different PFL bout, particularly one headlining a card in his native Ireland.
However, Hughes is confident that his decisive win against Miranda is more than sufficient grounds for arguably the most anticipated rematch in PFL history, regardless of Nurmagomedov`s opinion.
“This fight absolutely needs to happen,” Hughes asserted. “Everyone is calling for it. The PFL wants it, Dubai wants it. It`s abundantly clear that the only individual opposing this rematch currently is Usman Nurmagomedov.”
“If the fight somehow doesn`t happen, you`ll know the reason. But I don`t foresee that outcome. I believe it will proceed. The PFL and the Dubai government hold more influence than a single person. Therefore, the fight is mandatory and will occur this September or October.”
Shortly after disclosing his recent text conversation with Nurmagomedov, Hughes saw the PFL announce a bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan scheduled for June 20, explicitly stating that “the winner of this fight becomes the No. 1 contender for the PFL lightweight world title and will be next in line to face current champion Usman Nurmagomedov.”
Predictably, this announcement did not sit well with Hughes.
“Hey, stop trying to provoke anger,” Hughes tweeted in response.
Despite the recent promotional efforts, Hughes remains confident that the PFL will ultimately schedule the rematch, asserting that Nurmagomedov cannot prevent it.
“He is clearly attempting to delay this bout,” Hughes stated. “Honestly, he probably shouldn`t have replied to my text. The reason he`s trying to delay is very simple: he knows I`ll beat him next time. He sensed my intensity in the cage. He knows I`m coming for him and that this means everything to me. I`m not entirely sure it holds the same significance for him. But his time is approaching. As I mentioned after our first fight, he can postpone it all he likes, but his day will come.”
Hughes has consistently felt he should have won their initial contest, but acknowledged there was nothing he could do about the official judges` scores. For this reason, he didn`t object when the PFL offered him another fight rather than an immediate rematch.
Now, Hughes suspects Nurmagomedov is simply delaying their inevitable confrontation by creating additional obstacles he must overcome.
“Frankly, the man is in trouble,” Hughes asserted bluntly. “Let`s just say, he`s in trouble once I get my hands on him. I am in the gym daily, preparing relentlessly for this. He has no comprehension of what awaits him.”
Percy Harlow