Paul Hughes issues savage response to Khabib Nurmagomedov dismissing Irish MMA with brutal "juicing" diss, brings up Conor McGregor

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Paul Hughes has delivered a sharp response to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent dismissal of Irish MMA. Nurmagomedov, in a controversial statement, claimed that Ireland’s MMA scene is inferior to Dagestan’s, with only Conor McGregor and Paul Hughes as the notable names representing the country.

This sparked a fierce rebuttal from Hughes, who took to social media to fire back at the retired UFC fighter. Hughes accused the Dagestanti camp of “juicing,” a potential reference to Usman Nurmagomedov’s past suspension after a positive test for a banned substance.

Usman had defended his title against Brent Primus in October 2023, but the win was overturned by the California State Athletic Commission after the positive test. Though the suspension only lasted six months, Hughes used this as ammunition to attack the legitimacy of Dagestan’s dominance in MMA.

Moreover, in 2016, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev had his bout against Drew Dober canceled due to a positive test for meldonium. The suspension was later lifted after a hearing which determined that the drug was prescribed to recover from a medical procedure to his heart.

The Irishman took to X and wrote:

"Conor made you famous... Dagestan No. 1 at juicing bratha."

Check out the X posts below:

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Michael Bisping defends Irish MMA against Khabib Nurmagomedov's criticism

Michael Bisping recently stepped in to defend Irish MMA following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s dismissive comments. Nurmagomedov claimed that Ireland has produced few top fighters compared to Russia.

However, Bisping, who has strong Irish ties through his mother, disagrees with the narrative. He acknowledged that Conor McGregor is the first name people think of when Irish MMA is mentioned, but he emphasized the presence of other notable Irish fighters like Cathal Pendred, Rhys McKee, and Ian Machado Garry. Bisping also reminded 'The Eagle' of Ireland’s fighting spirit, warning that the country is not one to mock.

Reacting to Nurmagomedov's comments on his YouTube channel, Bisping said:

"There’s been a lot of great Irish fighters over the years... Cathal Pandred back in the day, Rhys McKee, of course, Ian Machado Garry... If you go on the streets of Ireland, you go downtown Dublin and you’re trying to look for a fight, you’re gonna find one pretty quickly. They are certainly not a country to mock when it comes to fighting."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (1:50):