Paul Hughes vs Usman Nurmagomedov result branded ‘robbery’ as fans fume at scorecards

Paul Hughes was beaten by Usman Nurmagomedov for the second time this year as the Russian was crowned the PFL world lightweight champion

Paul Hughes was defeated for the second time this year by Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai on Friday night, with the Russian being crowned the PFL world lightweight champion.

Belfast-based Hughes lost to Nurmagomedov, cousin of former UFC star Khabib, via unanimous decision after a closely fought contest that lasted the full 25-minute and five-round distance.

Despite the close nature of the fight, the three judges’ scorecards suggested a more decisive victory for Nurmagomedov, with scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 in favour of the now undefeated 20-0 fighter.

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani expressed his outrage at the decision, labelling the 50-45 scorecard as ‘possibly the worst singular scorecard in the history of MMA’, reports the Irish Mirror.

He stated: “It’s safe to say Paul Hughes wasn’t playing with the same deck as Usman Nurmagomedov. 50-45 Usman is quite possibly the worst singular scorecard in the history of MMA. Despicable.”

Many agreed with Helwani’s sentiments, with one individual writing: “I scored 2,3 and 5th for hughes..2nd and 3rd were easily Paul’s rounds…How is this possible? PS- robbery.”

Another added: “50-45 f***ing joke that. Paul Hughes has been robbed there.”

A further comment read: “Paul Hughes has just been robbed with the worst scorecards possibly in MMA history.”

However, not everyone was in agreement, with many believing that Nurmagomedov had done enough to secure a clear victory over the Co Derry native. One fan remarked: “Usman won this match clearly. After watching all 5 rounds, I can say he is easily 49-46 ahead ..”

Another spectator noted: “50-45 doesn’t mean the fight wasn’t close/competitive. It just means the victor won every round, no matter how small the margin for each round. This judge thought Usman won every round even though some were very close/competitive.”

A further comment read: “The 2nd, 3rd, and definitely the 5th were all super close rounds. Hughes did not definitively win a single round so I have no issue with a judge scoring it for Usman. I also wouldn’t have an issue if the judge scored it for Hughes. That’s what happens when you have a coin flip round.”