Irish PFL Star: “Khabib Was Never Going To Be Nice About Us!”

Khabib’s Ongoing Battle Against The Irish

The build up to the PFL’s upcoming Road to Dubai Champions Series event on January 25th received a huge boost last week when former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s cousin and student Usman Nurmagomedov will face Ireland’s Paul Hughes in the main event, launched a verbal attack on the general quality of Irish MMA fighters over the years.

Nurmagomedov’s input has done wonders for the event from a marketing perspective, with the promotion leaning heavily into the “Ireland vs. Dagestan” narrative given that three of the five main card fights will be contested between natives of both nations.

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your Updated #RoadToDubai Fight Card is set 🔒

– 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗼-𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁: Vadim Nemkov vs. Tim Johnson
– Khasan Magomedsharipov is out
– Akhmed Magomedov replaces Magomedsharipov
– 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗽: Akhmed Magomedov vs. Nathan Kelly pic.twitter.com/S0LRYr6n08

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 8, 2025

This, of course, evokes memories of Khabib’s infamous rivalry with Conor McGregor. “The Eagle” submitted the former two-weight UFC champion at UFC 229 back in 2018 and the pair have engaged in a perpetual war of words on social media in the years since.

Irish Welterweight Has His Say On Khabib Nurmagomedov

One Irish fighter set to compete on the card, John Mitchell (9-2 MMA, 2-1 PFL), seemed indifferent to Khabib’s jibes when asked about it this week. The Cork-born welterweight is the only Irish fighter on the card who will not be facing a Dagestani-born opponent, and isn’t fazed by Nurmagomedov’s opinion in the slightest.

“Yeah well, he’s got to say what he has to say, doesn’t he?” said Mitchell when speaking exclusively to MMA Sucka this week. “You know what I mean, he was never going to be nice about it, but the good thing about this sport is (that) whoever wins the fight wins the argument as well. So we have an argument AND a fight to win now on January 25th”.

Mitchell is set to face France’s Souhil Tairi on the preliminary card in Dubai, but confessed he had been hoping for the opportunity to play a small part in the “Ireland vs. Dagestan” battle instead. While many might be intimidated at the prospect of stepping into the PFL smartcage opposite a Dagestani opponent, Mitchell believes he possesses the exact style to handle such a challenge.

“I’m made for Dagestanis, bro” says the 29-year-old. “Look who my coach is (Azamat “Ozzy” Dugulubgov). Look at every fight I (have), I put pressure on them. I’ve sparred so many of them. It’s never a Dagestani lad that’s giving me trouble, you know what I mean? I was hoping I would have got one for this card. I’m the perfect lad for them, you know what I mean? Trust me, they’re just as tough in Cork as they are in Dagestan and that wrestling? I guarantee I could take those lads down as much as they could take me down”.

Road to Dubal Champions Series takes place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on January 25th.