![Usman Nurmagomedov (left) reacts to his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov (right) losing at UFC 311 last weekend. [Image credit: @usman_nurmagomedov, @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/417d4-17375807031021-1920.jpg)
![Usman Nurmagomedov (left) reacts to his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov (right) losing at UFC 311 last weekend. [Image credit: @usman_nurmagomedov, @ufc on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov is keeping his eye on the target despite the result of UFC 311 last weekend. In the co-main event of the UFC's first PPV of the year, Nurmagomedov's brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, lost a five-round bid to win the UFC bantamweight title. The older Nurmagomedov lost to reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Despite this, Usman is undeterred in his mission to defend his belt against former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Paul Hughes at PFL: Road to Dubai - Champions Series on Jan. 25.
When asked how he remains focused on his task at hand, despite the heartbreak of his brother and teammate losing, Nurmagomedov said:
"I have to. This is MMA. Here we block arms, legs, head. This is a tough sport and sometimes that [Umar losing] happens, you know. But we are always thankful to God. We come from a very poor village with my brother. He was like, I remember he took me into this sport...All good. Alhamdulillah. Everything is good. I will focus on my fight and I will win for both of us."
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Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes get heated during media day
It seems Usman Nurmagomedov and his challenger Paul Hughes couldn't wait til this weekend to get their hands on each other. When the two were doing a promotional photoshoot for the fight, they were asked to stand uncomfortably close to each other - which inevitably led to some trash-talking.
Nurmagomedov drew first blood by urging Hughes to just fight right then and there. Hughes retorted by telling the champion to just focus on the fight happening this weekend. He then said that Nurmagomedov was looking past him.
The champion impishly replied:
"Brother, who are you?"
He then walked away and laughed at his challenger, who kept telling the camera that he was the next champion.
Seeing Nurmagomedov laugh at him and walk away confirmed Hughes' assessment that the champion was indeed looking past him. He then said:
"That's your mistake."
Watch the two go at it here:
