Paul Hughes is certain that he will eventually face Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov again, but he isn`t surprised that an immediate rematch didn`t happen.
Their initial encounter in January resulted in a razor-thin majority decision victory for Nurmagomedov. Hughes was quick to request a second fight, but Nurmagomedov dismissed the idea, stating that the Belfast native needed at least one more win before earning another shot at the title.
While eagerly awaiting the opportunity for a rematch in the future, Hughes wasn`t shocked by Nurmagomedov`s response. He now hopes to secure that rematch with his upcoming fight against Bruno Miranda on Saturday.
“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,” Hughes commented. “It didn’t surprise me that much considering I believe I won the fight, as everyone knows. I do believe that he was almost broken in there. Had the head clash not happened at the end of the fourth round… Of course, he’s going to try to delay it.”
He continued, “Fair enough. He still has the belt. He’s the champ. He can say these things. But at the end of the day, my day will come again and it’s coming soon. Another win over Bruno Miranda here, there’s absolutely no question that Usman is next. Whenever that is, I’m not sure, but it’s coming.”
Theoretically, Hughes could have declined fighting again and simply waited for PFL to book the rematch with Nurmagomedov, but that thought never crossed his mind.
Hughes has always aimed to stay as active as possible, and the fight against Miranda offered the significant bonus of headlining a card in his hometown of Belfast.
“There was never a thought of sitting out that long,” Hughes explained. “At the end of the day as fighters, we don’t get paid unless we fight and at the end of the day, I’m young, I’m healthy, I’m ready to go. I’ve been very active. I want to continue to be active. Why not? I will continue to get better and fighting and fight camps are where you get better.”
He added, “That fight [against Usman Nurmagomedov] is going to happen. We all know it’s going to happen. When that is, I’m not sure, probably end of the year so of course, I’m going to take the opportunity to fight at home in the meantime. Of course, I am. It means literally I’m taking off No. 1 on my MMA bucket list and also improving. Another fight camp and also of course you make money when you fight so everything’s positive.”
Despite the constant talk of the Nurmagomedov rematch, Hughes is focused squarely on his next opponent and refuses to be distracted.
Even though the odds suggest he is heavily favored against Miranda, Hughes understands the significant danger of overlooking any opponent in combat sports.
He referenced boxer Ryan Garcia`s recent experience, who reportedly focused on a rematch with Devin Haney only to suffer a surprising loss to Rolly Romero.
Hughes has witnessed such situations affecting other fighters and is determined not to make the same mistake by neglecting the immediate threat in front of him.
Regarding Miranda, Hughes stated, “Look, Bruno is a very dangerous guy. I knew that before we signed the fight. Obviously, I study everybody that’s in my kind of bracket. Very dangerous guy. Big puncher. Has been in there with a lot of world champions. Someone that is not being taken lightly in any regard. I’ve had to treat this as another world title fight, essentially. With this added pressure of being at home and delivering there, there’s a lot on the line here and Bruno is the type of guy if you slip up, he can knock you clean out. He has the capabilities to do that.”
He concluded this thought by saying, “So I have to take the fight unbelievably serious. Any fight in mixed martial arts there is risk but without risk there is no reward. At the end of the day, I get to live my dream and fight at the SSE Arena in Belfast and bring the company, bring the PFL here and show them what we can do. So incredible opportunity.”
Fighting at home also brings unique challenges; while Hughes will be the main attraction, the performance expectations placed upon him are higher than ever.
Hughes embraces this pressure, recognizing that headlining a card in Belfast is a dream come true and potentially a unique, one-time opportunity.
Addressing the pressure, Hughes confidently stated, “There’s pressure every time I fight now. I’m f*cking used to it. I’m the f*cking best. So I always deal with it well. Pressure creates diamonds.”
He concluded, “I am a competitor that always shows up. You’ve never seen me through any night of my career not show up on fight night and that will not change.”
Percy Harlow