Paul Hughes nearly defeated Usman Nurmagomedov at PFL Champions Series Dubai, leading to an invite to Dagestan from Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Bellator lightweight champion defended his belt via a controversial majority decision win that got fans riled up, with UFC legend Conor McGregor the most vocal detractor of the judges and their scorecards. On Sunday, Islam Makhachev shared a brief social media statement reflecting on his time in Dubai for the big fight.