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Nurmagomedov edged Hughes in their first meeting. | PFL MMA
Usman Nurmagomedov didn’t seem keen on a rematch with Paul Hughes after beating him in his last outing.
Nurmagomedov defeated Hughes via majority decision in their first encounter this past January. While the PFL lightweight champ initially didn’t want a rematch, it has been booked for Oct. 3 when the PFL returns to the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Hughes recently claimed that Usman was essentially forced by the PFL to accept the rematch. Nurmagomedov has responded with his version of the affair.
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Nurmagomedov doesn’t really see a point in a rematch against Hughes after beating him once. However, Nurmagomedov was desperate to fight after over six months of inactivity. Nurmagomedov revealed that Hughes was the only matchup on offer from the PFL, and he obliged. However, there’s concern about a lack of matchups for Nurmagomedov if he beats Hughes again. However, Nurmagomedov dismissed any speculations of him parting ways with the PFL. If he beats Hughes, Nurmagomedov is eyeing PFL 2024 lightweight tournament winner Alfie Davis, who upset Gadzhi Rabadanov earlier this month.
Nurmagomedov Eyes Future Bout vs. PFL Tourney Winner
“Honestly, after I won a unanimous decision in our title fight, I didn’t see any point in having to rematch with this guy,” Nurmagomedov said at a recent press conference. “But it’s been around eight months since my last fight and I’m really itching to fight. That’s why I took this fight. I said to them, ‘It doesn’t matter who you match me up with, just give me a fight.’ They said, ‘Paul Hughes.’ I said, ‘No problem. We’ll fight him again.’… In case I’m victorious, I’ll most likely face the winner of the grand prix at lightweight. It’s Alfie Davis, the Englishman. But it’s definitely not my last fight.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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