PFL’s first foray into the UAE will see former Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov go toe-to-toe against the Irish former Cage Warriors champion Paul Hughes. While we know this cousin and UFC royalty Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in Usman Nurmagomedov’s corner, Paul Hughes has invited none other than ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor to corner him. Does this mean that there is potential for history to repeat itself?

Here’s some context. When Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor met in 2018 at UFC 229, the whole thing was an ugly affair from start to finish. From McGregor mounting a scathing verbal offense at ‘The Eagle’ (and his team), to Nurmagomedov jumping McGregor’s team after he beat ‘The Notorious’, UFC 229 had fans divided right down the middle from the time that it was announced. It’s no wonder that UFC 229 broke the record for the biggest pay-per-view card in company history.

From his part, Conor McGregor seems to have accepted the invite from his Hughes through the following post on X (formerly Twitter), “Paul, my man, I will go to the arena and support [you] for sure. And if it kicks off, I’ll be there before you could even say ‘the [Nurmagomedovs] are juice head, inbr*d rats married to their cousins'”. The post continued reading, “Your team and corner have done a tremendous job with you. They will take you all the way! You’ve got this! We are with you, brother. Bring home the Gold.”

It seems like McGregor will make an appearance, and is also anticipating a possible confrontation with his bitter rival. After all, why wouldn’t the Irishman miss the opportunity to hit two birds with one stone; be there for his countryman, and stir up trouble with old rivals?

As the fighters prepare to face off in the PFL cage, the storylines unfolding outside the Octagon will be just as captivating as the fight itself. With ‘The Eagle’ and (possibly) McGregor on opposite sides of the cage, it’s clear that the stakes go far beyond just the fight itself. The stakes don’t just involve the two fighters or two different countries – they represent the dichotomy between fans of the Dagestani and Irish superstars. However, with both bitter rivals entering the same arena in the Middle East, fans are a little worried for the Irishman.

Fans divided by the news of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s possible meet-up

The event being in Dubai – a neutral ground with strict laws – adds to the expectation that nothing crazy will unfold at PFL: Road to Dubai – Champions Series. However, with the UAE being the Nurmagomedovs’ second home, one fan expressed worry for ‘The Notorious’ – “It’s in Dubai, they will cripple Conor this time.”. One fan took the side of the Irish and showed his support to Hughes –  “Paul smashes this guy essay”.

One fan remembered Khabib Nurmagomedov’s infamous leap over the cage at McGregor’s corner, after beating the Irishman in round four – “Cage jump 2 needed”. Another fan showed skepticism about McGregor’s involvement in a possible fight and the potential for his team to suffer another setback, much like they did at UFC 229 when Khabib’s victory was followed by chaos – “Another embarrassment on fight day for Conor loading.”

One fan suggested that anyone from McGregor’s team who attempts to challenge Nurmagomedov’s crew, especially in light of the Usman-Paul fight, will be swiftly dealt with – “Can’t lie each one of Conor’s team is getting flattened if they try to start with Khabib’s team” One of the fans made it clear that despite being a fan of Hughes, McGregor will present in the audience and not in his corner, “Conor already said he’ll be in the audience not in the corner”. One user reminded McGregor that despite his fame and experience, he could find himself in a difficult situation if he challenges or underestimates Khabib’s team, “Conor better tread lightly Khabib’s literally unstoppable right now” 

What do you think of the fans’ anticipation that a fight might break out between the Irish and Dagestani corners? Do you think Nurmagomedov and McGregor will behave, or will we see a recap of the aftermath of UFC 229? Sound off in the comments below.