Being from Ireland and distancing yourself from Conor McGregor is almost unheard of, especially among die-hard fans. The man put Ireland on the MMA map and became the biggest name in the fight game. Paul Hughes is also a known McGregor fan, but a clip from the PFL event just dropped where he was caught telling Team Khabib Nurmagomedov that he’s not like the other Irish fighters.
A clip circulating on X shows Hughes addressing the pre-fight buildup, where the narrative was framed as Dagestan vs. Ireland. After the fight, he made it clear to Khabib that he sees himself differently from other Irish fighters, emphasizing that he’s his own man. He also reassured Usman that, despite how the media portrays things, he has always shown respect.
McGregor put Irish MMA on the global stage, no question. So seeing Hughes seemingly throw shade, fans think he’s just trying to win over a group of Dagestanis who don’t even rock with him.
One fan weighed in on the situation, predicting that Conor was about to go off.
Conor is gonna trash him now😂
— anybmufc (@B_anyymufc) January 29, 2025
One fan dismissed McGregor as the past, claiming Paul Hughes is the future.
Conor is trash, Paul is the future.
— MMA watcher🇵🇸 (@MMAwatcher5) January 29, 2025
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
Another fan calls him, “Flipper.”
asshole flipper
— Nitesh Khatri (@niteshkhatri475) January 29, 2025
Another fan joked that now McGregor will probably say Usman won the fight clearly.
Wow. Didn notice thaat.. now Connor would say that Usman won it clearly 🤣
— zenguy (@Zzenguy1) January 29, 2025
That cockhead gonna go crazy over this 😭
— RED CACHE (@RedCacheREAL) January 29, 2025
One fan calls it, “L Moment.”
L moment
— RJ👣 (@NormanRj81572) January 29, 2025
Paul Hughes Accepted Khabib Nurmgomedov’s Invitation
Hughes put on a dominant performance against Usman Nurmagomedov but came up short of securing the championship belt. Despite the loss, he received an invitation from Team Khabib Nurmagomedov to visit Dagestan.
Replying to this, Hughes expressed his gratitude and respect for Khabib’s team and nation, saying he’d be honored to take up the offer someday and return the favor in Ireland—though only after he gets a rematch with Usman. Fans can’t stop talking about the rematch. They’re hyped, but it looks like they’ll have to wait a little longer for any official word.
Also Read: Team Khabib Nurmagomedov Lashes Out At Airlines That Ejected UFC Legend – “Need To Apologize”
