Hughes to fight Nurmagomedov for Bellator title

Paul Hughes (left) has just one defeat to his name while Usman Nurmagomedov (right) is unbeaten in 18 fights

Paul Hughes will challenge Usman Nurmagomedov for the Russian's Bellator lightweight title on 25 January at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Hughes secured the biggest win of his career as he outstruck AJ McKee to win their lightweight bout by split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October.

The Derry fighter, 27, was an underdog going into the fight against McKee, who is a former Bellator featherweight champion.

The Hughes-Nurmagomedov bout, which is called the Champions Series World Title, marks the beginning of a multi-year partnership between the Professional Fighters League (PFL), Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and Dubai Sports Council (DSC).

"It’s great to have a quick turnaround [from the McKee fight] - it’s what I wanted," Hughes told BBC Sport NI.

"I went to the venue yesterday. It’s a huge arena - it’s unbelievable.

"This [PFL] is the first global MMA organisation to come here, so it's the first one in the history of Dubai. There's been small local shows but this is history.

"It's huge for PFL Bellator and it's huge for Dubai and certainly a huge thing for me, so the magnitude of this fight is huge."

Hughes, a former featherweight champion in UK-based promotion Cage Warriors, was competing in only his second PFL bout after defeating Bobby King in June.

He boasts a career record of 13 wins and one defeat.

Russia's Nurmagomedov - the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov - defended his lightweight Bellator title by unanimous decision against Alexander Shabily in California in September.

The 26-year-old was making his return to the cage after being banned for six months by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for failing a drug test in October 2023.

The win extended Nurmagomedov's unbeaten record to 18 fights, with no defeats and one no contest.