"I'm my own man" - Paul Hughes seemingly distances himself from Conor McGregor while talking to Khabib Nurmagomedov in latest PFL Dubai footage

Paul Hughes recently made waves after his thrilling fight against Usman Nurmagomedov at PFL: Road to Dubai. Although Hughes lost by majority decision, the Irish fighter made headlines with a comment that seemed to distance himself from Conor McGregor in front of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Following the intense fight, Hughes embraced 'The Eagle' and said:

“I’m not like this other guy [Conor McGregor]. I’m my own man. I’m not like this other guy."

He then told Usman:

"The media try and make us like not respect, but you know I always have respect.”

Check out the clip below:

The Irish prospect was on par in the exchanges, finishing the fight better and troubling the Dagestani on the ground. With the fight going the distance, Nurmagomedov took the victory with the judges' scorecards reading 47–47, 48–46 X2.

Khabib’s cousin thus extends his undefeated MMA record to 19–0–1. His victory comes a week after his older brother Umar’s loss in the co-main event of UFC 311.

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Usman Nurmagomedov weighs in on Paul Hughes' call for a rematch

Usman Nurmagomedov has dismissed calls for an immediate rematch against Paul Hughes despite pressure from fans and pundits. The lightweight champion expressed that Hughes, while showing promise, is still relatively new to the promotion and needs more experience before earning another shot at the title.

Speaking with talkSPORT MMA after his win at PFL Dubai, Nurmagomedov explained his stance:

"I don't like the rematch. I need some new names and for Paul, I wish the best for him but he needs to get some fights, a couple [of fights]. He only has two fights in the division and they gave him a gift. Now, the second time, he has to deserve [the title shot]. Three, four, five winning streak and then we will see."

Check out Usman Nurmagomedov's comments below (4:10):