Usman Nurmagomedov squeaked out a razor-thin decision over Paul Hughes on Saturday in Dubai -- and there's a good chance he'll see the Irishman again in 2025.
Nurmagomedov (19-0) defended his lightweight Bellator MMA championship via majority decision in an early candidate for Fight of the Year. Two judges scored the five-round contest 48-46 for Nurmagomedov, while a third scored it a 47-47 draw. The 155-pound title fight marks the end of Bellator MMA, as it will now officially merge with its parent company, PFL.
Nurmagomedov and Hughes put on a show to conclude the Bellator MMA banner, which debuted in 2008. Hughes (113-2) forced Nurmagomedov, who is the younger cousin of retired legend Khabib, to dig deep in the final round to keep his perfect record. It will go down as one of the best fights in Bellator history, and likely produce a rematch in the PFL Smartcage.
"You are the man," Nurmagomedov said to Hughes. "Brother, you're tough. Honestly, I underestimated this guy. But I'm still undefeated and I'm still the undisputed Bellator lightweight champion."
Hughes, 27, credited Nurmagomedov for a great fight but believed he did enough for the win. He called for an immediate rematch in Belfast, where he now trains. It could turn into a long-term rivalry, considering Nurmagomedov is 26.
Nurmagomedov, who had Khabib, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and coach Javier Mendez in his corner, got off to a clean start in the opening round, but the confident title challenger didn't take long to respond. He started to punish Nurmagomedov to the body in the second round and showcased elite takedown defense.
A back-and-forth third round was highly impactful to the judges' scores. Nurmagomedov was docked a point for repeated low blows and an accidental head clash threatened to end the fight. But both lightweights continued. Hughes won the fourth round before Nurmagomedov delivered a champion's effort in the fifth to claim the win.
The PFL has not announced whether Bellator champions will retain their titles in the roster merger or compete for vacant PFL belts. Hughes proved his mettle in October with a slight upset win over former featherweight champion AJ McKee. Although he lost Saturday, his stock will likely rise higher than it did after that victory.