Usman Nurmagomedov openly refusing an immediate rematch despite Paul Hughes' unbelievable display infuriates fans: "Bro you barely won"

Fans criticized Usman Nurmagomedov for his comments regarding a potential rematch against Paul Hughes. Nurmagomedov defeated Hughes by a majority decision to retain his Bellator lightweight title at the PFL Champions Series 1 event on Jan. 25.

Discussing the fight, Nurmagomedov admitted that he underestimated Hughes, which led to the closely contested scrap. The Dagestani fighter acknowledged that his constant pursuit of a finish contributed to the fight being more competitive than it might have otherwise been.

The 26-year-old declined to grant an immediate rematch to Hughes, stating:

"For the rematch, No! He has to win like couple, two, four fights in Bellator. Because he only have two fights and they give him title shot. But Paul Hughes, all my respect to this guy. I think even if you go to the tournament for 1 million, he have hundred percent, like a chance to take the belt. And then we can talk rematches."

Check out Usman Nurmagomedov's comments below:

Fans disagreed with Nurmagomedov's comments and expressed their criticism in the comments section. Many fans suggested that he should apply the same logic if his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, requests an immediate rematch against UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili after his recent defeat in a closely contested fight at UFC 311.

One fan commented:

"Bro you barely won lmao."

Another fan reacted:

"[Laughing emojis] Don’t be afraid buddy."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

In his post-fight interview, Hughes also demanded a rematch on his home turf, in Belfast. However, his comments suggested that he was not asking for an immediate rematch. Hughes said:

"I can't wait to see what's in the future. We have to do the rematch in Belfast. It has to be in Belfast. We've got to bring it back to Ireland... I think I've earned this... I know for a fact that we're gonna do it some day and I know that I will be the victor next time."

Check out Paul Hughes' comments below: