Bellator may be extinct, but it still has a champion in Usman Nurmagomedov. In a new edition of Dagestan vs. Ireland, Nurmagomedov made his third title defense as 155-pound champion, defeating Paul Hughes by majority decision in the main event of PFL: Road to Dubai, which, as he had anticipated, took him to deep waters. But while the matchup was exciting, the ending too had its moments. One such clip that is going viral on the internet shows the Irish fighter taking a jibe at Conor McGregor in front of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The buildup to the fight was as controversial as ever, with former rivals Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor reigniting the Irish MMA vs. Dagestani MMA debate. Paul Hughes took the opportunity to remind his opponent Usman Nurmagomedov that he is very different from ‘The Notorious.’ While embracing Nurmagomedov with ‘The Eagle’ by his side, Hughes kept reminding the Dagestani camp, “I’m not like this other guy (Conor McGregor). I’m my own man. I’m not like this other guy. The media try and make us like not respect, but you know I always have respect.”

The Irish prospect was not only on par in the exchanges, getting to have a better fight closing, but also troubled the Dagestani on the ground. With the fight going the distance, Nurmagomedov took the victory by a score of 47–47, 48–46 X2. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin thus extends his undefeated MMA record to 19–0–1. His victory comes a week after his older brother Umar’s loss in the co-main event of UFC 311.

Paul Hughes, a former Cage Warriors 145-pound champion, suffered his first loss since December 2020. He came to Dubai on a seven-game winning streak. However, despite his first loss in MMA, he has earned the respect of many within the MMA community with such a performance. One such man who now is a fan of the Irishman is none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib Nurmagomedov invites Paul Hughes to visit Dagestan

Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former fighter and now a successful MMA coach, managed to lead another athlete from his team to victory. As his cousin’s triumph was more difficult than some fans and sports professionals imagined, ‘The Eagle’ gained massive respect for the Irishman. On his official X account, the former UFC lightweight champion surprised fans by inviting Hughes to visit Dagestan.

Nurmagomedov’s invitation was surely unexpected because, earlier, he detonated Irish MMA when he compared it to the level of the Dagestani fighters. But, after Paul almost took his cousin’s undefeated record in the sport, the veteran showed his respect and apparently ended up poking Conor McGregor, his great rival. All because Khabib Nurmagomedov guaranteed that the promising Irishman would be well received in Dagestan and cataloged him as a good example in MMA, unlike ‘The Notorious,’ who would not enjoy the same prestige.

He tweeted, “Thank you for the fight, paulhughesmma and for the experience, I invite you and your whole team and family to Dagestan, any time you want, believe me you will like it and your arrival will serve as a good example for many young generations.” Well, it surely looks like Hughes has won the hearts of many fans and MMA fighters alike now. And you know you have done a good job when one of the GOATs of the sport invites you to their home.

It is worth noting that in an interview that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov gave just a few weeks before he fell ill and unfortunately lost his life, the legendary coach revealed that he forgave Conor McGregor for all his trash talk in the past and even invited the Irishman to his home in Dagestan, just like Khabib Nurmagomedov just did. “I invited Conor to my home. I made the statement and invited him as a guest. He can visit Dagestan; why not?” Abdulmanap said. However, that dream still remains unfulfilled. But what do you think? Will Conor McGregor receive poor treatment if he ever decides to step foot in Dagestan? Let us know in the comments.