Paul Hughes is livid over how the judges scored his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov.
On Saturday, Hughes challenged reigning Bellator lightweight champion Nurmagomedov in the headline clash of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in the UAE.
Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, "Big News" delivered an exceptional performance, pushing the undefeated Dagestani phenom to the brink over five grueling rounds. Hughes countered every challenge Nurmagomedov threw his way and showcased his dominance in various exchanges throughout the bout.
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However, Nurmagomedov found his rhythm between the rounds, leveraging his wrestling to gain control over Hughes, who couldn't sway the judges despite his opponent's point deduction for low blows in the third round.
After 25 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, two judges scored the contest 48-46 in favor of Nurmagomedov, while the third saw it as a 47-47 draw, allowing the champion to retain his title.
Moments following the conclusion of the fight, "Big News" took to Instagram to voice his frustration with the judges' scoring. The Irishman confidently claimed that, in his eyes, he had done more than enough to seal the win for himself.
We all thought I won that one," Hughes said. "I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage that thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.
Hughes went on to explain that the accidental head clash in the fourth round swung the fight's momentum, insisting that up until that point, he had been on the verge of overwhelming Nurmagomedov.
In his post-fight interview, the 27-year-old fervently expressed his desire to run it back, this time in front of his home crowd in Belfast. He once again called for an immediate rematch to settle the score with the Russian.
I’m obviously disappointed. I’m gutted. I’m proud of myself, but I need to get that back. I deserve to have that belt.