Paul Hughes responds to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments about Irish MMA: “Conor made you famous”

PFL lightweight challenger Paul Hughes has hit back at Khabib Nurmagomedov.

‘The Eagle’ made news earlier this week for his harsh remarks against Irish MMA. While Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired as a boxer, he continues to coach his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov. The Bellator lightweight champion is set to face rising Irish star Paul Hughes later this month in Dubai.

The PFL has billed the lightweight title battle as ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland’. Given Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s presence in the event, this is a simple decision. The former UFC champion notably contested against Conor McGregor in 2018, defeating the Irishman via submission in MMA’s biggest bout ever. Later this month, Nurmagomedov will once again support his cousin.

Meanwhile, there’s a fair chance Conor McGregor will be in Paul Hughes’ corner on fight night. With that in mind, ‘The Eagle’ is keen to renew his rivalry with the Republic of Ireland. Earlier this week, Khabib Nurmagomedov slammed the present condition of Irish MMA, claiming it is lower than Dagestan.

Paul Hughes hits back at Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of the Bellator title fight

Ireland does not have fighters, brother.” Khabib Nurmagomedov commented when asked about the MMA enmity between Russia and Ireland. “Let us be honest. How many fighters do you know from Ireland? Paul Hughes and Conor. Who else? When you visit Dagestan, you will understand. You understand, but let’s be honest about Dagestan. The Dagestan level of MMA has increased here. However, Ireland’s level is not even half that of Dagestan.

Well, Paul Hughes responded quickly. Earlier today on X, ‘Big News’ directed multiple posts against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Irish striker claimed that Conor McGregor made the Russian famous. In a subsequent post, he accused Ali Abdelaziz of advocating for Nurmagomedov and mocked Usman Nurmagomedov’s notorious drug test failure.

 

These comments make it evident that there is bad blood between the two parties. However, fans will not have to wait long to see Paul Hughes clash with the Nurmagomedov family later this month.