Nurmagomedov beats Hughes to claim PFL lightweight world championship

DUBAI: There are two new world champions following Friday night’s PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai — The Rematch event at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The main event more than lived up to expectations, as Usman Nurmagomedov (20-0, 1 NC) and Paul Hughes (14-3) squared off for their highly anticipated 2025 rematch. Much like their first meeting, the fight went the full 25 minutes, and once again it was Nurmagomedov who had his hand raised, securing a hard-fought unanimous decision to preserve his undefeated record.

As the championship rounds unfolded, Nurmagomedov’s trademark composure and ability to dictate the pace proved the difference. Hughes rallied with some of his best offense late, but it was not enough to overturn the judges’ scorecards. With the victory, Nurmagomedov not only reinforced his dominance in the lightweight division but also etched another chapter in what has quickly become one of the PFL’s defining rivalries.

The PFL light heavyweight world title clash between Corey Anderson (20-6) and Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-8-1) served as a rematch of their 2021 Bellator world grand prix quarterfinal, which Anderson won by third-round stoppage.

This time, the fight began with two separate eye pokes from Yagshimuradov. Once Anderson recovered, the Turkmen fighter landed looping punches that found their mark. As the co-main event settled in, however, the former Bellator champion leaned on his wrestling, controlling the action from top position for the remaining four rounds. Anderson’s dominance earned him a unanimous decision, marking his fourth straight victory and third since joining the PFL. With the win, Anderson captured the PFL light heavyweight world championship.

In a title eliminator to decide the