Khabib Nurmagomedov, now a coach, criticized the level of Irish MMA fighters compared to those from Dagestan, ahead of his cousin Usman’s fight against Paul Hughes, prompting responses defending Ireland’s achievements despite its smaller size.
Khabib Nurmagomedov certainly knows a thing or two about battling the best from Ireland. Now, stepping into his new role as a coach and mentor, he’s moved beyond his infamous rivalry with Conor McGregor. His focus? Prepping his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov for a title defense against Irish up-and-comer Paul Hughes at a PFL event in Dubai on Jan. 25. The event is being hyped as “Dagestan vs. Ireland,” but Khabib believes there’s no real comparison when you zoom out.
“Ireland don’t have fighters, brother,” Khabib stated in a fresh interview with PFL. “Let’s be honest. How many fighters do you know from Ireland? Paul Hughes and Conor [McGregor] and who else? There are no fighters.” A bold claim! While many Irish fighters, like UFC welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry, might strongly disagree, Khabib insists it’s all about numbers.
In Dagestan, the sheer volume of fighters emerging is staggering. Look at the UFC: Islam Makhachev, Khabib’s close friend, is both the lightweight champ and the top pound-for-pound fighter. Meanwhile, Usman reigns as Bellator’s lightweight champion. And that’s just scratching the surface of Dagestani dominance across divisions.
Khabib claims promoters hesitate to book Dagestani fighters because they fear they’ll take over entirely. “You come to Dagestan, you can understand,” Khabib explained. “Many organizations don’t even sign Dagestan fighters because they worry everyone could become champion.”
He continued by comparing levels: “Dagestan level of MMA [up] here. But Ireland level? Not even half of Dagestan level.” Bold words indeed! Paul Hughes, upon hearing this, simply promised to rise to the challenge against Usman in January. “Just wait and see,” Hughes wrote confidently.
Meanwhile, Darren Till shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter). He respects Khabib and his team but disagrees with the notion that Irish fighters are low-level. Till pointed out that given Ireland’s size compared to Russia’s vastness, Ireland has punched well above its weight in producing talent.
“Ireland is so small and Russia is so big,” Till noted in his tweet. Despite this disparity, he believes Ireland excels in fighter production relative to its size. Not biased, just an opinion from someone observing from the sidelines.
The debate rages on!