It’s rare for an MMA fight to garner more attention outside of the UFC. Interestingly, that has exactly been the case for Khabib’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov who is set to defend his Bellator 155lbs gold against Paul Hughes. This anticipated bout has been dubbed as the second coming of the infamous ‘Ireland vs Dagestan’ rivalry. Naturally, the buildup has been full of heat as an unfortunate incident took place during their ceremonial weigh-in.

After Umar Nurmagomedov‘s failed attempt to capture UFC gold, his younger brother is on a mission to maintain their team’s legacy and defeat Hughes to add another feather to his cap. There have been words fired from both camps in the lead-up to the fight, but things took a wild turn when they faced off at the ceremonial weigh-ins in Abu Dhabi as a full-on brawl broke out.

However, it wasn’t Usman or his opponent who were involved in the brawl, but rather their fan bases. People from Dagestan and Ireland collided after the event, showcasing the personal vigor for this upcoming title fight, which is arguably one of the most hyped PFL fights after Francis Ngannou‘s debut last year against Renan Ferreira.

There is no word on whether anybody has been injured or hurt during the massive brawl, but fans on social media were quick to chime in and add their take on the whole fiasco. As expected, they believe things are going the same way as the first ‘Dagestan vs Ireland’ rivalry did. Here’s what they have to say.

Fans are loving it after witnessing the brawl during Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes weigh-ins

It seems like the fans aren’t worried about the turn of events in Dubai because they seem even more excited to witness Usman Nurmagomedov vs Paul Hughes. They believe that MMA is all about the chaos and this is what makes fights interesting. “This is what we love to see. Prime MMA is back,” a fan commented in that regard. Having witnessed the chaos in the video, the fans have observed that this fight feels exactly like the time when superstars Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov collided in 2018. “This is Conor vs Khabib all over again and I couldn’t be happier.”

On the other hand, since the video wasn’t all that clear, one X user wondered who came out on top after all the drama, as he asked, “So who won?” Meanwhile, one fan saw just a little bit of action, as he added, “Like one punch was thrown,” with a bit of disappointment. Surely, the PFL or any other promotion does not condone such behavior from their fighters, which is exactly the sentiment one fan shares as he wants to see both Usman and Hughes gully healthy to put on a show this weekend. “I’d rather see them all fight in a big stadium behind closed doors! that would be awesome,” that fan added.

However, some fans suggest the Irish and Dagestani fan bases in Dubai shouldn’t be too oblivious to the laws and regulations in the city that’s hosting the PFL title fight. While warning them about the consequences, a user on X claimed, “Will regret that when they are sitting in a Dubai jail.”

When we take a look at how things were totally chaotic during McGregor’s rivalry with Khabib, it was still great publicity for their eventual mega headliner. As such, one fan commented, “Looks like the pfl is getting what it wanted Dagestan vs Ireland,” he highlighted that the Usman Nurmagomedov vs Paul Hughes fight is getting all the necessary promotion it needed due to this recent brawl.

Whatever happens before the fight, everything finally gets settled inside the eight-sided cage. It will be interesting to see how the fight pans out and if it showcases the same level of pandemonium as UFC 229 did. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.