“The Nurmagomedovs Are Not Fighters!”: Conor McGregor Lashes Out After Paul Hughes Loses to Usman

The rivalry between Conor McGregor and the Nurmagomedov family reignited in fiery fashion following Paul Hughes’ PFL title fight loss against Usman Nurmagomedov on Saturday. Things could turn uglier as McGregor used his gutsy performance to take the limelight away from Hughes on social media, talking trash about Usman and his Dagestani teammates.

“And Umar, exactly what it says on the tin, a Nurmagomedov. Runner, sprinter, bolter, scarper, scurrying ‘fighter. The Nurmagomedovs are not fighters. They are the most non-fighting fighters out of Dagestan and all time.”

While some would agree with McGregor’s critique of the Nurmagomedovs’ wrestling-heavy style, on the flip side, grappling and cage control are legitimate and effective ways of winning in MMA.

Interestingly, this fight had its fair share of offense on the feet from Usman, who matched Hughes in matters of haymakers thrown at each other. Usman, often considered the best striker in the family, looked every bit of the natural talent that his striking coach Javier Mendez had promised he was.

The champ tried to dominate Hughes in the earlier rounds but the Derry native seemed to not just relish the punishment but also intent on pushing up the pace.

So, McGregor’s argument doesn’t really hold water in this case. Besides, the Ireland vs Dagestan feud seems to have taken a backseat as Khabib was full of praise for Irish fans for speaking up for the people of Palestine.

Besides, despite the result not being in favor, Hughes earned the respect of every person in the arena, including the champion.

Usman admits to underestimating Hughes

Leading up to the highly anticipated title bout, Usman had confidently predicted that Hughes would be ‘easy work.’ During one of the promotional shoots, he had even asked the Irishman who he was in the most dismissive manner.

However, the fight turned out to be far more challenging than the reigning champion anticipated. The Irishman took the champ the distance and made sure every person who paid for the tickets to the event was well compensated.

After a grueling contest, Usman retained his title but was quick to praise Hughes in his post-fight interview –

“Paul Hughes, you is the man, brother… brother, you were tough. Honestly, I underestimated this guy, it was my little mistake, but still undefeated, undisputed.”

That said, Hughes still believes he won the fight and to be fair, he might have. He had Usman on the ropes more than a few times while smirking at his offense. He has now asked the PFL for a rematch and after witnessing the best fight of the year so far, we couldn’t disagree.