Usman Nurmagomedov unbothered by Conor McGregor’s threat to corner Paul Hughes in Bellator title fight: “I’ll smash them both”

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov isn’t worried about Conor McGregor or Paul Hughes.

The 26-year-old hasn’t been seen in the Bellator cage since a title defense against Alexandr Shabliy in September. While some expected the challenger to pose some issues for Usman Nurmagomedov, the champion largely dominated. The unanimous decision victory helped set the stage for a heated clash with Paul Hughes later this month.

For his part, ‘Big News’ is fresh off a decision win over former champion A.J. McKee in October. Ahead of the contest, the PFL is promoting the Bellator event as ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland’. Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to be in Usman Nurmagomedov’s corner later this month, which comes as no surprise. However, Paul Hughes wants his own high-profile cornerman.

Not long after earning the title bout, the Irishman offered Conor McGregor a spot in his corner. While it’s unknown if ‘The Notorious’ will corner Paul Hughes in the Bellator title fight, he’s revealed his intent to be at the event. Speaking in a recent interview with CBS Sports‘ Brian Campbell, Usman Nurmagomedov was asked about McGregor.

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Ultra confident Usman Nurmagomedov expects an easy fight vs. rising star @paulhughesmma in lightweight title defense on Jan. 25 at @PFLMMA Road to Dubai

And should fellow Irishman Conor McGregor show up to cause drama, Usman said, “I’ll smash him, too”https://t.co/9yn6Mmdvc0 pic.twitter.com/vBK6AIRTym

— Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) January 9, 2025

Usman Nurmagomedov dismisses Paul Hughes and Conor McGregor ahead of Bellator return

There, the Bellator lightweight champion largely dismissed Conor McGregor’s potential presence in Dubai. Furthermore, Usman Nurmagomedov isn’t really worried about Paul Hughes either. If the 26-year-old needs to, he’ll beat one Irishman after the other.

“It’s not tough challenge, let’s be honest.” Usman Nurmagomedov stated when asked about his upcoming Bellator title fight against Paul Hughes. “It’s not tough challenge. Toughest challenge in my career was my last fight, it was tough challenge. This guy is not tough challenge. Who said A.J. McKee is a tough guy? Maybe [that’s a good win for Hughes], but not for me.”

He continued, “A.J. McKee is a small, short guy for me. Same, Paul Hughes is too. Look at this guy’s fights, and then look at my fight with Shabliy. Then you will understand our levels… It doesn’t matter [if Conor McGregor shows up]. Even if Conor will come to the cage, I can smash both these guys. I don’t care.”

What do you make of these comments from the Bellator champion about Conor McGregor? Are you excited about Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes?