Conor McGregor has reacted after being asked to corner Paul Hughes and reignite the greatest feud of his life.
The UFC legend was a keen viewer as Hughes defeated AJ McKee in his PFL debut on Saturday night in RIyadh. And when his fellow Irishman called out Usman Nurmagomedov, he offered a rare chance for McGregor to face off with Khabib Nurmagomedov once again.
McGregor and the elder Nurmagomedov shared the most bitter rivalry the UFC has ever seen ahead of their 2018 fight, which the Russian won. And there is still no love lost between the pair after six years without being in the same room.
Paul Hughes defeats AJ McKee to set up Bellator title showdown with Usman Nurmagomedov
Kicking off the main card for Francis Ngannou’s return to the cage in Saudi Arabia was Irish prospect Paul Hughes against former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee. Entering as a massive underdog, the former Cage Warriors champion out-pressured and out-worked his American rival.
The fear going into the bout was around McKee’s elite wrestling, against a man from a country that is weaker in that regard. But effective placement of knees allowed the Irishman to stay in pole position, even dropping the American at the end of the first round.
McKee recovered well in the second and arguably won the round, even though Hughes could argue he did enough. And despite admitting that he was gassed after the first, he managed to push through and win the fight by split decision.
The win was likely to set up a showdown with undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. And Hughes aggressively pushed the issue in his post-fight interview, noting that he was willing to either go to Dubai or invite the Russian to Ireland.
Paul Hughes calls for Conor McGregor to corner him for Usman Nurmagomedov fight
After his victory, Hughes was asked if he would enlist the help of his country’s most famous fighter to prepare him for a new massive test. He immediately demanded that the media push the message in order to get Conor McGregor in his corner for the bout.
“Someone clip this,” Hughes told the media during his post-fight press conference, before calling his shot to the former two-weight world champion. “Conor, I want you in my corner for that fight, 100 per cent, how cool would that be?
“We might need some extra security that night, Oscar [Willis, from The Mac Life] talk to the man. We might need some more security but I’m down for it, I think it would be fun.”
Conor McGregor reacts after intriguing offer for Paul Hughes
In the immediate aftermath of the result, McGregor took to social media to share his delight at what had happened, writing on X: “What a mega win for ‘Big News’ @paulhughesmma ! Solidified! Bravo bro, well in!”
And while he is enthusiastic about the fight and being in attendance, McGregor noted that Hughes’ corner team from Fight Academy Ireland have got him to this far. As such, he has turned down the offer, although he offered his support if the Nurmagomedov family get rowdy as they did last time around.
Paul Hughes asks for @TheNotoriousMMA in his corner if he’s to face Usman Nurmagomedov 👀
Ireland vs. Dagestan again?
— Lewis Simpson (@LewisSimpsonMMA) October 19, 2024
“Paul my man I will go to the arena and support 100 per cent for sure,” McGregor wrote in a quickly-deleted tweet to his fellow Irishman. “And if it kicks off I’ll be in there before you could even say ‘the nurgamedovs [sic] are juice head inbred rats married to their cousins’.
“Your team and corner have done a tremendous job with you! They will take you all the way! You’ve got this! We are with you brother, bring home the Gold!”