Nurmagomedov beats Hughes again to claim PFL title

Usman Nurmagomedov earned a unanimous decision victory in his rematch with Paul Hughes, capturing the vacant PFL lightweight championship Saturday at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The judges scored the fight 50-45, 49-46, and 48-47 in Nurmagomedov's favor. However, the first two scorecards didn't seem to accurately reflect the competitiveness of the fight. PFL color commentator Jimmy Smith said on the broadcast he thought 48-47 was the correct score, and other pundits blasted the lopsided scorecards on social media.

Nurmagomedov, a former Bellator lightweight champion, added a second promotional title to his resume. He remains undefeated as a professional, with a record of 20-0 (1 NC).

The 27-year-old Dagestani now holds a 2-0 record against Hughes after beating him via majority decision in January in the final 155-pound title bout in Bellator history.

Saturday's rematch was another entertaining, back-and-forth fight after Nurmagomedov and Hughes delivered a Fight of the Year candidate earlier in 2025. Both men landed heavy shots on the feet, with Hughes perhaps getting the best of the exchanges, while Nurmagomedov excelled in the grappling department, taking Hughes' back and attacking the neck multiple times.

Nurmagomedov, a cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib, returned to the cage for the first time since his first win over Hughes. He's now 9-0 (1 NC) under the PFL/Bellator banner.

Hughes, a 28-year-old from Belfast, Northern Ireland, fell to 3-2 in the PFL and 14-3 as a pro.

In the PFL Dubai co-main event, Corey Anderson defeated Dovlet Yagshimuradov by unanimous decision in a rematch to claim the vacant light heavyweight title.