Usman Nurmagomedov vs Paul Hughes 2 live: Fight result as score sparks major controversy
Northern Ireland’s Hughes again failed to dethrone Khabib’s cousin, the PFL lightweight champion, but the scorecards sparked significant backlash online
The MMA fanbase was sent into a frenzy on Friday night, with many followers of the sport taking issue with the scorecards from Paul Hughes’s rematch with Usman Nurmagomedov.
For the second time in 10 months, Nurmagomedov won a decision against Hughes to stay unbeaten and retain the PFL lightweight title in Dubai, and while the first fight was competitive, the rematch was even more-closely contested.
Yet Nurmagomedov, who was awarded a majority decision in the first fight in January, won 50-45, 49-46, 48-47 on Friday (3 October) – with many fans and journalists raging at the first two scorecards. The consensus was that the Russian, 27, and Northern Irishman, 28, had contested a close-enough fight for a 48-47 scorecard in either man’s favour. But the width of the first two cards sparked major controversy.
“50-45 is an abomination,” tweeted Canadian journalist Aaron Bronsteter, while his countryman and colleague Ariel Helwani wrote: “That was a super close and great fight. I accept 3-2 either way. The judge who had it 50-45 should never be allowed to judge MMA again [...] 50-45 (and 49-46) is absolutely insane. WOW.”
One Irish journalist, Peter Carroll, wrote: “50-45, 49-46 are criminal cards [...] And by the way, I don’t think this is a robbery. I had it for Paul by a round but I knew it was close. 50-45 ffs [for f***’s sake].” And British journalist Simon Head added: “I’d take 48-47 either way in that fight. 49-46 is a HUGE stretch. But 50-45? That’s disgraceful. That sort of scoring is damaging to credibility.”
The Independent scored the bout 48-47 in Nurmagomedov’s favour, yet a 48-47 win for Hughes was conceivable after a close fight, in which only the first round was clear – and belonged, surely, to Nurmagomedov. Re-live updates and see results from the Hughes vs Nurmagomedov 2 event, below.
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That’s all from us tonight.
What a great fight. And what a shame about the scoring!
Full report: Fans rage at Nurmagomedov vs Usman 2 scores
Fans rage at Nurmagomedov vs Hughes 2 scores as Russian wins again
Paul Hughes refrains from addressing scoring after second loss to Usman Nurmagomedov
Official scorecards that sparked major controversy
The PFL has actually published a correction, because the first card added up to 50-44 with that 10-8 in round five!
That, it seems, was a typo.
Any more bits you want to amend, team? Aha...
MAJOR CONTROVERSY AS USMAN BEATS HUGHES AGAIN!
For what it’s worth, The Independent scored the fight 48-47 to Usman, but the same score for Hughes is also valid.
50-45 to Usman is inconceivable. 40-46 to Usman is also poor.
MAJOR CONTROVERSY AS USMAN BEATS HUGHES AGAIN!
Usman: “I felt I won every round, but it was a very tough fight.
“I didn’t underestimate you this time; I think maybe you underestimated me?” he adds with a smile. Hughes smiles back and shakes his head.
“Thank you so much for the fight, Paul.”
Hughes: “I wanna thank everybody so much for travelling all the way to Dubai.
“They were telling me I wasn’t getting a post-fight interview, but I had to come over here to thank you.
“I will be back, trust me, I will be back. And thank you Usman and his team as well – so much respect.”
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