Paul Hughes is confident he will cross paths with Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov again, but he isn`t surprised he didn`t get an immediate rematch.
In January, Hughes fought a razor-close majority decision against Nurmagomedov, ultimately losing on the scorecards. Hughes quickly requested a prompt rematch, but Nurmagomedov turned it down, stating the Belfast, Ireland native needed to secure at least one more win before earning another title shot.
Although he is eagerly anticipating a second chance against Nurmagomedov in the future, Hughes wasn`t shocked by how things unfolded, and now he hopes to earn that rematch with his scheduled fight against Bruno Miranda this Saturday.
“Look, he`s always going to try to extend that as long as possible because he came very, very close to losing his belt,” Hughes said. “It didn`t surprise me much, considering I believe I won the fight, as everyone knows. I truly believe he was almost broken in there. Had the head clash not happened at the end of the fourth round. Of course, he`s going to try to delay it.”
“Fair enough. He still has the belt. He`s the champ. He can say these things. But eventually, my day will come again, and it`s coming soon. Another win over Bruno Miranda here, and there`s absolutely no question that Usman is next. Whenever that is, I`m not sure, but it`s coming.”
In theory, Hughes could have potentially refused to fight again and simply waited for the PFL to book him against Nurmagomedov, but that thought never actually crossed his mind.
Hughes has always wanted to stay as active as possible, but the fight against Miranda offered an added bonus: the chance to headline a card at home in Belfast.
“There was never a thought of sitting out that long,” Hughes stated. “At the end of the day, as fighters, we don`t get paid unless we fight, and I`m young, I`m healthy, I`m ready to go. I`ve been very active. I want to continue to be active. Why not? I will continue to get better, and fighting and fight camps are where you improve.”
“That fight [against Usman Nurmagomedov] is going to happen. We all know it`s going to happen. When exactly, I`m not sure, probably by the end of the year. So, of course, I`m going to take the opportunity to fight at home in the meantime. Absolutely. It literally means I`m ticking off No. 1 on my MMA bucket list while also improving. Another fight camp, and of course, you make money when you fight, so everything is positive.”
Despite the ongoing conversation about the Nurmagomedov rematch, Hughes refuses to fall into the trap of looking past his next opponent.
Although the odds suggest he should essentially walk through Miranda in their upcoming fight, Hughes knows that looking past anyone is a very dangerous game in combat sports.
Boxer Ryan Garcia learned this the hard way last weekend when, aiming for a rematch against Devin Haney, he instead suffered a surprising decision loss to Rolly Romero.
Hughes has seen such situations happen to other fighters before and won`t allow himself to fall prey to looking ahead without acknowledging the immediate risk in front of him.
“Look, Bruno is a very dangerous guy,” Hughes said. “I knew that before we signed the fight. Obviously, I study everyone in my weight class. A very dangerous guy. A big puncher. He`s been in there with many world champions. Someone who absolutely isn`t being taken lightly. I`ve essentially had to treat this as another world title fight. With the added pressure of being at home and needing to deliver there, there`s a lot on the line, and Bruno is the type of guy who can knock you clean out if you slip up. He has that capability.”
“So I have to take this fight unbelievably seriously. In any mixed martial arts bout, there is risk, but without risk, there is no reward. Ultimately, I get to live my dream and fight at the SSE Arena in Belfast, bring the company, bring PFL here, and show them what we can do. So it`s an incredible opportunity.”
Fighting at home also presents unique challenges, as Hughes will enjoy being the biggest star on the entire card, but the performance expectations are also higher than ever.
Hughes embraces that pressure, especially knowing that headlining a card in Belfast is a dream come true and there`s always a chance this might be his only opportunity.
“There`s pressure every time I fight now,” Hughes said. “I`m f*cking used to it. I`m the f*cking best. So I always deal with it well. Pressure creates diamonds.”
“I am a competitor who always shows up. You`ve never seen me fail to show up on fight night throughout my career, and that won`t change.”
