In a rematch that promised fireworks, Usman Nurmagomedov defended his PFL lightweight title against Paul Hughes on Friday night in Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena. The undefeated Russian, cousin to Khabib, once more slipped away with a narrow decision victory, this time amid a storm of backlash over the judges' scoring. Hughes, the gritty Northern Irish fighter chasing redemption after their January clash, pushed hard but couldn't dethrone the champion.
The fight itself was a gritty affair, full of grappling and near-misses. Nurmagomedov controlled much of the early action with his wrestling, but Hughes fired back with sharp strikes in the later rounds. Indeed, the bout felt razor-close, with only the first round clearly in Nurmagomedov's favor. Yet when the scorecards dropped—two judges at 49-46 and one shocking 50-45 for the champ—the arena and online world erupted. Fans called it a travesty; one journalist labeled the 50-45 "criminal," while broadcaster Ariel Helwani deemed it possibly the worst scorecard in MMA history.
Controversy overshadowed the skill on display. Hughes, now 0-2 against Nurmagomedov, vented frustration post-fight, hinting at repeated fouls by his opponent that went unpunished—no point deductions despite eye pokes and the like. British analyst Adam Catterall piled on, saying Hughes fought not just the man but the officials too. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, shrugged it off in his interview, name-dropping potential next foe Alfie Davis, the recent PFL tournament winner with a 20-5-1 record.
This wasn't the quick KO Hughes hoped for to claim the belt and bring it home to Belfast. Instead, it leaves lingering questions about judging in the PFL. Moreover, with the co-main seeing Corey Anderson snag the light heavyweight strap via wrestling dominance over Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, the night had its highlights. But the main event? It exposed cracks in the system.
Still, in MMA's chaotic world, such debates often fuel the next big story—what might a trilogy mean for these warriors?