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Paul Hughes and Usman Nurmagomedov finally locked horns at PFL Champions Series 1. Nurmagomedov successfully defended his Bellator lightweight title by securing a majority decision victory. Following the fight, Hughes reacted to a post on X which mocked Nurmagomedov for taking a long timeout in Round 4.
The 27-year-old challenger received multiple groin strikes from Nurmagomedov, forcing the referee to deduct one of the latter's points. In the penultimate round of the showdown, an accidental clash of heads seemed to rock the 26-year-old Russian, forcing him to take a lengthy timeout. Hughes was bleeding from his forehead at the same time as he looked on over his rival with stoic composure.
The Irishman took to X and noticed the post calling out Nurmagomedov for allegedly trying to regain energy. It also praised Hughes for waiting for the defending champion to take a time-out despite bleeding and taking multiple groin strikes. 'Big News' responded to it by quote-posting it with an emoji:
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Aljamain Sterling praises Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes for a "classic" fight
Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes have been receiving applause from MMA fans and fighters alike for a hearty fight at PFL Champions Series 1. The duo went through a grueling five rounds before a winner could be decided on the judges' scorecards. Nurmagomedov eventually came out victorious by winning the fight via majority decision.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling joined other fighters and MMA fans to applaud the two. He praised Hughes for his impressive performance and applauded Nurmagomedov for his championship experience.
"Just watched the Nurmagomedov-Hughes scrap. What a high-level fight from both men! Hughes was very impressive against Usman and showed he can compete with the best. Usman showed off his championship experience giving us a classic!"
Usman Nurmagomedov entered the cage riding high on an undefeated record of 18-0. The 27-year-old Hughes also boasted an impressive record of 13-1 with a seven-fight win streak as he stepped foot inside the cage.
