"Seems a little bit emotional" - Paul Hughes gives final verdict on upcoming Usman Nurmagomedov fight at PFL Dubai

Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes have traded several barbs in the build-up to their highly-anticipated Bellator lightweight title showdown. For his part, Hughes has now given his final verdict for their grudge match.

Usman Nurmagomedov is the younger brother of UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov and a cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The undefeated fighter from Dagestan, Russia, has yet to compete in the world's premier MMA organization, UFC. Nevertheless, he's still beheld as one of the best lightweights in the sport.

On the other hand, Ireland's Paul Hughes gained considerable praise after outpointing former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee in their lightweight showdown in 2024. 'Big News' has also generated significant buzz in the build-up to his title shot against Usman Nurmagomedov.

Hughes received support from Irish sports icon and former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who's a longtime rival of Usman's cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

There's been widespread speculation that McGregor potentially attending Hughes' fight against Usman could lead to a tense encounter between 'The Notorious' on one side and Khabib and the latter's entourage on the other side.

Moreover, Hughes partook in a seemingly intense final face-off with Usman Nurmagomedov ahead of this weekend's fight. In an X post via Bellator MMA's handle, Hughes gave his final verdict for the fight and implied that his Dagestani foe seemed a tad emotional. The Irishman stated:

"Once again, Usman seems a little shook up. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed that. I soaked it all in. But as I say, seems a little bit emotional. And I think that's going to be his demise tomorrow night."

He added:

"I'm calm, collected; and that's all. I'll speak tomorrow night when that roof is being blown off this. I've been here before in these high-pressure situations; these fans going crazy. And I always come out on top. So, just see tomorrow night."

Watch Hughes' assessment below:

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Usman Nurmagomedov on Umar Nurmagomedov's UFC 311 defeat potentially influencing his PFL fight

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov is counted among the PFL's top acquisitions after it acquired Bellator MMA in 2023. He's booked to defend his Bellator belt against Paul Hughes in the headlining match of PFL Dubai (aka PFL Champions Series 1 aka PFL Champions Series - Road to Dubai). The event goes down at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, U.A.E., on Jan. 25, 2025.

A major talking point heading into the fight has been Usman's older brother Umar Nurmagomedov's unanimous decision defeat against UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 (Jan. 18, 2025). It marked Umar's first professional MMA defeat.

Certain sections of the MMA community have questioned whether Umar losing the title fight and his unbeaten status could affect his brother and training partner, the unbeaten Usman.

Speaking to talkSPORT MMA, Usman recently emphasized that Umar's loss has motivated him and wouldn't adversely affect him. He seemed to acknowledge that it was tough to watch his brother lose, but reaffirmed that he has to beat Hughes at PFL Dubai:

"It was tough time, hard time for me. But we agree with what happens with us. Doesn't matter -- good stuff, bad stuff. Alhamdulillah. It [didn't] make me weak ... It's made me more mentally strong. And I have to win this, my fight."

Watch Nurmagomedov's assessment below (1:35):