'My life has changed' - Hughes before Nurmagomedov title bout

Paul Hughes (right) will challenge Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator Lightweight World Championship on 25 January

Paul Hughes says he feels "extremely confident" in his bid to dethrone Russia's Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator Lightweight Championship title in Dubai on 25 January.

The Derry man earned the biggest win of his career last month when he overcame America's AJ McKee by split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Now eager to further establish himself on the world stage, Hughes is bidding to become a two-time champion, having previously held the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2022.

"This is, you could say, one of the biggest fights, if not the biggest fight that PFL and Bellator have ever done," Hughes told BBC Sport NI.

"The magnitude of this fight is huge. We've both got big fanbases, big loyal followings, so it has the potential to be absolutely massive.

"Usman is 18-0 for a reason. I'm very much prepared for a lot of wrestling exchanges, so I need to be going in there very fit and ready to go."

Hughes will return to Belfast to start this new training camp, then continue preparations in Florida in the build up to Christmas, before returning to Belfast before the January bout.

From his hotel room in Dubai, the 27-year-old went on to explain how "mad" the past few weeks have been since his career took a huge leap after defeating McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion.

"It's great to have a quick turnaround. How my life has changed, I'm just after meeting the Crown Prince of Dubai at a convention, which is pretty crazy. I'm hanging out with Francis Ngannou, having the craic and then meeting the Crown Prince," he continued.

"It's all happening very fast, but maybe because it's happening so fast I'm not taking it in."

Hughes, though, says he knows he has earned his recent opportunities.

"I know a lot of athletes sometimes talk about imposter syndrome but it's something that I've never had, and the reason I've never had it is because I know how hard I've worked to get here," he said.

"But on the other hand, you pinch yourself and say 'what the hell is going on?'.

"I feel like a seasoned veteran. I've been doing this a long time and it's starting to show, but in terms of my PFL career, yes, it's all moving very fast and it is new, but I'm no stranger to the big nights. I'm fighting in front of 16,000 people, it's unbelievable."

Hughes extended his winning streak to seven with victory over AJ McKee October

Sobering himself from the ecstasy of recent times, Hughes explained that he understands the challenge at hand in Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin to MMA great Khabib Nurmagomedov.

"I'm under no illusions as to how good he is and I know I will have to go to the depths of hell to beat him, so I will be carrying that energy now with me through the rest of this camp," he said.

"I find holes in people's games and I've found holes in Usman's already. I know where I can beat him and I just believe in my fighting ability and my fighting instincts.

"I know how to hurt people and I know how to get victories as I just done against AJ [McKee]. I'm extremely confident.

"I don't play much into it but another world title, that goes down in history, that's a legacy there, so I'll certainly welcome it."