Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes Title Fight Set For Jan. 25
11/20/2024 05:00 PM
Earlier today (Weds., Nov. 20, 2024), Professional Fighters League (PFL) signed a historic multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) to stage mixed martial arts (MMA) event in Dubai.
The first -ever event — which will stream on ESPN+ — will take place on Sat. January 25, 2025 inside Coca-Cola Arena, and it is set to be headlined by a highly-intriguing Lightweight title fight as undefeated (18-0-1) Bellator champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, will defend against rising sensation, Paul Hughes.
Nurmagomedov most recently defended his belt against Alexander Shabliy this past September via unanimous decision, he second successful defense. As for Hughes, he skyrocketed to a title fight rather quickly. In his Bellator debut, he defeated Bobby King via third-round technical knockout (TKO) in June 2024.
Four months later, the Irish striker pulled off a major upset by stunning former Featherweight champion, A.J. McKee, at PFL's "Battle of the Giants" event. Now, "Big News" is out to attempt to secure an even bigger upset by handing Nurmagomedov his first-ever defeat, while adding to another title to his mantle.
As far as PFL's new deal, the promotion outlined its plan via a press release:
"The first-of-its-kind partnership will see MMA world champions and the sport's biggest stars from the PFL compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA. All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as "Road to Dubai", as each show culminates to the finale set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL's commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati star fighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL Champions."
There are no other confirmed fights at the moment, but keep it tuned to MMAmania.com as more details emerge in the coming weeks.
For all the latest PFL news and notes click here.
