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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Paul Hughes on Jan. 25 in Dubai.
The fight marks the first event of a new, multiyear partnership between PFL, the parent company of Bellator MMA, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Jan. 25 event, which will be part of Bellator’s Champions Series, will take place inside Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The PFL expanded into the Middle East in a big way this year, hosting five events in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and launching its PFL MENA (Middle East and North Africa) league.
Nurmagomedov (18-0), cousin of retired legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, will be seeking his third title defense. He only fought once in 2024, partially because of injury, and defeated Russian lightweight challenger Alexander Shabliy by unanimous decision in September.
Hughes (13-1) is a 27-year-old out of Belfast who burst into Bellator’s title picture with impressive wins over Bobby King and AJ McKee this year.
Earlier this year, Nurmagomedov publicly called for his next title fight to take place in Dubai. The city has not historically been known for hosting mixed martial arts, although several high-profile fighters have held their training camps there for events in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.
The multiyear partnership is between PFL, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council.