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Usman Nurmagomedov’s next fight date and opponent confirmed during legendary cousin’s leak streak

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Ross Markey | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 1:02 PM ET

Usman Nurmagomedov seems to have his next outing in the cage already signed and sealed, according to his relative Khabib Nurmagomedov — against a familiar foe.

Sidelined since January, Nurmagomedov would narrowly hold onto his Bellator MMA lightweight crown, taking home a close majority decision win in a trip to Dubai.

But with fans clamoring for a quickfire return for Nurmagomedov, his cousin Khabib has continued in his recent run of leaking matchups — confirming a date for his impending comeback.

Usman Nurmagomedov set for October rematch clash

Having already confirmed his teammate, Islam Makhachev’s comeback later this year at Madison Square Garden, Khabib has now claimed his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov, will fight a month prior under the PFL banner.

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And taking on Irish contender Paul Hughes in a January showdown, Khabib described the challenger as a “hard fight” for the defending champion once more in a rematch.

“Usman, he is a hell of a fighter,” Khabib said during an interview with Sneako. “He’s fighting on October 4 in Dubai, with the same guy (Paul Hughes) he fought with last time.

“It was a hard fight, and now we’re going to see how he deals with the rematch.”

Bloody Elbow understands that Nurmagomedov may have been slightly off with the date, however.

PFL won’t want to go head-to-head with UFC’s pay-per-view event on October 4, and the Coca-Cola Arena website has a sporting event marked on its calendar for October 3, which is believed to be the correct date.

Appearing to finally book himself a re-run with Nurmagomedov, this will be welcome news to Hughes, who has been vocal about his chances of actually fighting the Russian again.

Paul Hughes aimed duck jibe toward Usman Nurmagomedov

Initially hoping to book a homecoming rematch with Nurmagomedov, having travelled to the Middle East for his title charge, Hughes would miss out on a chance to fight on home soil again.

And appearing at the PFL’s debut outing in Belgium earlier this year, the contender brought a duck with him to the venue — reminiscent of Tom Aspinall’s taunt at Jon Jones this annum, too, goading Nurmagomedov into a rematch.

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But with Khabib’s latest assertion, it seems Usman will make his return against Hughes, despite Archie Colgon’s recent title eliminator win over Mansour Barnaoui.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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