Just a week after the Dagestani camp fought two title fights in the UFC, Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his Bellator lightweight title against Ireland’s Paul Hughes in Dubai on January 25. The feud between the fighters has already become as personal as it can get. The two camps have been calling each other out so much that the event has now been dubbed ‘Dagestsan vs. Ireland 2’.
Well, nothing can match the epic proportions of the ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland 1’ (Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor) reached at UFC 229. Hopefully, Usman vs. Hughes won’t touch the levels of infamy either. That said, this fight is a significant one for the Nurmagomedovs.
Team Khabib has been gloomy since Umar became the first from the clan to lose a pro-MMA fight last Saturday. If Usman wins, the camp can brush his brother’s loss aside as an anomaly and move on. If not, it will fuel speculation that their MMA dynasty is in decline.
The event is being broadcast across 20+ countries. Here is a list of start times for different time zones across the globe so that you know when to tune in.
Start times for Usman Nurmagomedov vs Paul Hughes
| Country | Event Start Time | Main Event Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 11:00 AM ET (Jan 25) | 4:00 PM ET (Jan 25) |
| Canada | 11:00 AM ET (Jan 25) | 4:00 PM ET (Jan 25) |
| Mexico | 10:00 AM CST (Jan 25) | 3:00 PM CST (Jan 25) |
| Brazil | 1:00 PM BRT (Jan 25) | 6:00 PM BRT (Jan 25) |
| Argentina | 1:00 PM ART (Jan 25) | 6:00 PM ART (Jan 25) |
| UK | 4:00 PM GMT (Jan 25) | 9:00 PM GMT (Jan 25) |
| Ireland | 4:00 PM GMT (Jan 25) | 9:00 PM GMT (Jan 25) |
| France | 5:00 PM CET (Jan 25) | 10:00 PM CET (Jan 25) |
| Russia | 7:00 PM MSK (Jan 25) | 12:00 AM MSK (Jan 26) |
| Ukraine | 6:00 PM EET (Jan 25) | 11:00 PM EET (Jan 25) |
| China | 11:00 PM CST (Jan 25) | 4:00 AM CST (Jan 26) |
| Japan | 1:00 AM JST (Jan 26) | 6:00 AM JST (Jan 26) |
| South Korea | 1:00 AM KST (Jan 26) | 6:00 AM KST (Jan 26) |
| Singapore | 12:00 AM SGT (Jan 26) | 5:00 AM SGT (Jan 26) |
| India | 9:30 PM IST (Jan 25) | 2:30 AM IST (Jan 26) |
| UAE | 7:00 PM GST (Jan 25) | 12:00 AM GST (Jan 26) |
| Saudi Arabia | 6:00 PM AST (Jan 25) | 11:00 PM AST (Jan 25) |
| South Africa | 5:00 PM SAST (Jan 25) | 10:00 PM SAST (Jan 25) |
| Australia | 1:00 AM AEDT (Jan 26) | 6:00 AM AEDT (Jan 26) |
| New Zealand | 3:00 AM NZDT (Jan 26) | 8:00 AM NZDT (Jan 26) |
Usman, who boasts an unblemished record of 18-0, will hope to continue his run in the PFL. Hughes, at 13-1, will be keen to make the first title fight of his career count.
However, the narrative has gone beyond the title and career fight records. With Khabib questioning the MMA heritage of Ireland in the build-up to the fight, this is about Irish pride and Dagestani pedigree as much as it is about the two fighters in the cage.
Hughes hopes to humble the Nurmagomedovs
Hughes will hope to answer Khabib’s criticism of Irish MMA by handing them a defeat in a sport the Nurmagomedovs have built a dynasty through domination.
Earlier, while trying to hype up the fight, Khabib claimed that Ireland didn’t have any fighters of repute. He also compared the level of MMA in Hughes’ country to Dagestan, asserting that there was no real competition.
“Ireland doesn’t have fighters, brother. Let’s be honest. How many fighters do you know from Ireland? Paul Hughes, Conor McGregor, and who else? There are no fighters,” Khabib had said.
Khabib Nurmagomedov stated there is a big difference between the level of MMA in Dagestan and Ireland
(via @PFLMMA) pic.twitter.com/uOxTvyeWxI
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 2, 2025
Hughes responded to Khabib’s remarks by accusing the entire Dagestani camp of doping. He also reminded Khabib that he became famous only due to his fight with McGregor. The Irish lightweight is more determined than ever to prove the Dagestani camp wrong.
Conor made you famous. https://t.co/88ycFRkTCf
— Paul Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma) January 3, 2025
Hughes also promised to humble Usman, after the champion insulted him by asking who he was during a promotional shoot for the fight.
