Usman Nurmagomedov insists judges should have scored rematch with Paul Hughes even wider

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Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t think 50-45 fully captures how dominant he was in his rematch with Paul Hughes.

The PFL lightweight champion improved to 20-0, beating the Irishman by unanimous decision. But the scorecards raised a few eyebrows, with one judge giving it 50-45 and another 49-46, even though some rounds felt closer than that.

Before the fight, Nurmagomedov questioned whether Hughes even deserved a second chance. But after ten rounds across two fights, it was clear they were closer in skill than many expected – both bouts could have gone either way.

Usman Nurmagomedov defends judges’ scores after close fight with Paul Hughes

Usman Nurmagomedov didn’t hold back after the scores were announced. He downplayed the competitiveness of the fight, making light of any suggestion that it had been a close contest.

He acknowledged Hughes’ effort, but overall, he seemed content to take the win and move forward. When he later spoke to media including Bloody Elbow backstage, his stance hadn’t shifted much.

Bloody Elbow asked if he agreed with one judge giving him every round. “Brother, I think that was 50-44, just my opinion,” Usman replied. He went on to say he believed the first round should have been scored 10-8 in his favour.

Scorecard confusion adds to debate over Usman Nurmagomedov vs Paul Hughes rematch

Following the wide 50-45 score from judge Bryan Miner, fans immediately demanded to see all three official cards. The PFL’s public relations account responded by posting the scores, but errors in the initial release forced them to take it down and repost with corrections.

The first version of the card actually matched Usman’s claim that he should have won 50-44, though it controversially gave him a 10-8 in the fifth round – one of the more debatable frames of the fight.

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Once the corrected cards were finally shared, questions didn’t stop. Many fans felt there was an obvious bias toward Nurmagomedov, suggesting his name carries more influence than Hughes’ and pointing out that two identical scorecards seemed unlikely given how tight some rounds appeared.