Usman Nurmagomedov Defends Title in Epic Paul Hughes Clash at PFL Road to Dubai

Nurmagomedov Narrowly Defeats Hughes In High-Paced War

Following his upset-win over former Bellator titleholder A.J. McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants, Hughes was quick to get on the microphone and call for a fight with undefeated Bellator Lightweight Champion Nurmagomedov.

PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series Live Results & Highlights – Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes

The two men were scheduled to kick off the PFL's 2025 schedule at Road to Dubai Champions Series, and their headlining bout was made all the more meaningful when the promotion announced that it would represent the last title fight in the history of Bellator MMA.

The first few minutes of the opening round saw Nurmagomedov largely rely on his kicks to chip away at the challenger's legs and body, but in the final minute of the round the two lightweights became a bit more active and even exchanged wry smiles with one another as the bell sounded.

Hughes appeared to gain significant confidence after fighting off an early takedown attempt from the champion in the second frame, and further attempts from Nurmagomedov to initiate grappling exchanges allowed "Big News" to start landing some big clinch strikes before they returned to range striking for the remainder of the round.

The early portion of the fight saw each man land inadvertent groin shots on the other, but in the third round Nurmagomedov caught Hughes below the belt twice and was deducted a point for the foul before he finally managed to find some brief success with his takedowns.

Fighter Suffers Gruesome Broken Arm after Blocking Kick on PFL Road to Dubai Prelims

The two men were happy to trade strikes during the fourth frame before an accidental head clash paused things with just over a minute remaining, and while Hughes was the one that ended up being cut it was Nurmagomedov that needed some time to recover following the unexpected collision.

A bloodied Hughes rallied the crowd while he waited for the doctor to attend to his opponent, and once things resumed Nurmagomedov quickly shot for a takedown that allowed him to maintain top position for the final minute of the round.

With the fight seemingly up for grabs heading into the fifth round, Nurmagomedov managed to bring Hughes to his knees against the cage and land some punishing knees until "Big News" scrambled away so the two men could slug it out before ending things against the cage.

The point deduction resulted in one judge scoring the fight a 47-47 draw, but the other two judges scored the fight 48-46 in favor of Nurmagomedov to preserve the champion's undefeated record.

Vadim Nemkov Cuts Tim Johnson Early, Secures Choke in PFL Road to Dubai Co-Main Event

The 26-year-old admitted after the decision that he had underestimated Hughes and was quick to express his respect for the Irishman. "Big News" also got a chance to speak with Dan Hardy and noted that he was "heartbroken", but Hughes was quick to call for the PFL to set up what would be a massive rematch in his home of Belfast, Northern Ireland.