Paul Hughes Names One Fighter Who Can Beat Usman Nurmagomedov In UFC
Paul Hughes thinks that only Ilia Topuria has the ability to defeat Usman Nurmagomedov.
Usman Nurmagomedov is still undecided on whether he will join the UFC or not. Even before he finalizes, speculations have dropped about how dominant he would be against the current UFC roster. Shedding light on the topic, Nurmagomedov’s former opponent, Paul Hughes, has named one person who can down the 22-0 fighter.
Paul Hughes Backs Ilia Topuria to Beat Usman Nurmagomedov
Hughes has fair experience of fighting the Dagestani star. In PFL, the duo has met not once but twice. While in their first meeting, Nurmagomedov’s win was described as a lucky escape. But when they fought again back in 2025, there was no doubt as to who the winner was. Winning by unanimous decision, Nurmagomedov had the judges scoring the contest 50-45, 49-46, and 48-47 in the Dagestani’s favor.
Thus, when the Irish fighter was asked if there was anyone in the UFC that could beat the 28-year-old, Hughes picked Ilia Topuria. He said, “The only person in the UFC who has a chance against Usman Nurmagomedov is Ilia Topuria.”
This was certainly quite a big statement from Hughes., but even for Topuria to beat the Dagestani, there was a problem. If Usman joins the UFC, there'a a good chance that Topuria might face off in the lightweight division. However, currently there is no update on when ‘El Matador’ will return.
Even if he does so, there is no telling how Topuria’s mental state will be following the beating he took at the hands of Justin Gaethje. Meanwhile, Hughes was not the only fighter to speak highly of Nurmagomedov’s skills.
Arman Tsarukyan Predicts Bright UFC Future for Usman Nurmagomedov
Nurmagomedov joining the UFC lightweight division might not turn out to be a good idea for the existing roster. In a recent interaction with Ariel Helwani, the Armenian fighter pointed out that the 22-0 fighter has the capability to take down everyone in the lightweight class.
“He can beat a lot of guys in our division because, stylistically, he's so good... I think he beats Gaethje. I think he beats almost everyone in the division,” Tsarukyan stated.
With so much talk going on, the final decision still lies with Nurmagomedov. If he does join the UFC, there’s no telling how stoked fans will be.
