Usman Nurmagomedov’s upcoming Bellator title defense against Paul Hughes is generating a lot of buzz, and for good reason. The matchup carries a heavy sense of nostalgia, as it mirrors the epic rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor—a fierce Dagestani-Irish showdown that captivated the MMA world.

With this history in mind, Hughes invited McGregor to join him in his corner for the fight, and as expected, the Irishman was eager to accept. In a now-deleted tweet, ‘Mac’ expressed his support, saying, “Paul my man, I will go to the arena and support 100% for sure, and if it kicks off, I’ll be in there.” However, the question remains: is McGregor truly ready to step into the corner for Hughes, or is this simply more hype surrounding the fight? Let’s take a deeper look at what might be happening behind the scenes.

Paul Hughes takes a U-turn on Conor McGregor’s presence in his next outing

Paul Hughes is riding high after his stunning underdog victory over A.J. McKee at PFL: Battle of the Giants. The win was one of the best performances of his career, and although he had to wait for a split decision announcement, Hughes was confident he’d done enough to secure the victory. With his sights now set on a title shot, Hughes was thrilled by the idea of having Conor McGregor in his corner for the fight.

Following his victory, Hughes made a public request to McGregor, saying, “Conor, I want you in my corner for that fight, 100 percent.” However, due to his ongoing legal issues, McGregor’s involvement in the upcoming title defense against Usman Nurmagomedov has become complicated.

Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has cautioned that McGregor might want to stay away from the fight’s location (UAE) after his recent debacle. Interestingly, even Paul Hughes has started to reconsider McGregor’s potential involvement in his corner. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hughes acknowledged that, given McGregor’s ongoing issues, it might be unwise to ask the former UFC double champion to corner him after all.

It is now public knowledge that McGregor is embroiled in a financial and legal hurdle, having been ordered to pay over $260,000 in damages to Nikita Hand, the plaintiff in his civil lawsuit, along with additional legal expenses. Given these complications, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Irishman will be able to show up and support his fellow countryman, Paul Hughes, in his upcoming title defense. Despite McGregor’s challenges, the longtime coach of Team Khabib, Javier Mendez, believes McGregor’s presence could still add significant entertainment value to the fight.

Javier Mendez states a condition for McGregor to corner Hughes

The rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor is undeniably one of the most intense and iconic in MMA history. Their animosity, which began long before their showdown at UFC 229 in October 2018, reached new heights after McGregor’s infamous actions—most notably, throwing a dolly (steel trolley) through a bus window, an incident that further fueled the flames of tension.

Should McGregor and the Nurmagomedov camp cross paths again, it’s likely the situation could spiral into chaos once more, reminiscent of the brawl that erupted after UFC 229. Javier Mendez, Khabib’s longtime coach, admits he’d still welcome the prospect of McGregor cornering, acknowledging the entertainment value it would bring. On his YouTube podcast, Mendez stated, “I would love for that to happen… because, hey, we’re in the entertainment business… so guess what? Bring the entertainment, as long as we keep it legal.”

Mendez raises a valid point—when McGregor and Khabib’s teams are in the same vicinity, even the slightest interaction can quickly escalate into a full-blown spectacle. However, for this drama to unfold, McGregor would need to walk out with Paul Hughes in his upcoming fight. The question now is whether McGregor and Khabib will indeed cross paths again. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.