Usman Nurmagomedov broke the guts of Irishman Paul Hughes with one other contentious factors win to retain his PFL light-weight world title on Friday in Dubai.
Eight months after Nurmagomedov was cast as a lucky winner on the similar venue, the Russian was once more a slender victor within the rematch as Hughes produced an excellent efficiency over 5 rounds.
The scorecards didn’t replicate a detailed battle because the judges noticed it 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 for Nurmagomedov.
“You wish to say this battle was shut too? I really feel I received each spherical, but it surely was a really powerful battle with powerful opponent. I didn’t underestimate him, I feel he underestimated me,” Nurmagomedov stated.
Hughes, 28, fought expertly at shut vary and was a transparent winner of rounds two and three, retaining his cool when Nurmagomedov headbutted him after the bell on the finish of the primary spherical.
The Irishman was hit with a number of low blows in spherical one and 4 which appeared to sluggish his progress and had been rounds that Nurmagomedov pocketed.
However Hughes recovered every time and rocked Nurmagomedov on a number of events together with with an outstanding kick and physique shot mixture within the third and a giant proper hand within the closing levels.
With Hughes mixing his placing, touchdown knees and brief right-handed punches, UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, the cousin of Usman, might be heard screaming at high quantity for Usman to reply.
Khabib’s appeals appeared to fall on deaf ears as Usman elected to showboat throughout spells of the battle.
