He may be a sizable underdog with the sportsbooks, but Paul Hughes is ready to prove himself right, and the doubters wrong, when he takes on Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai on Saturday.
Hughes will challenge Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title at the PFL's inaugural Road To Dubai Champions Series event.
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It's the biggest fight of the 27-year-old's career, but it's one he says he's battle tested and ready to take on. And, chatting to UK radio station TalkSport ahead of his title tilt, Hughes said that he isn't convinced the same can be said of his opponent.
"I'm going to drag him into a fight," he promised.
"I'm going to drag him into deep waters, places that he has never been before. People haven't tested him enough, they haven't fought him enough. They haven't got him to these dark places enough. He's never been there.
"He's also never fought in front of a crowd that we're going to bring here on Saturday night in Dubai. He's never fought that high of a pressure fight. He's never fought somebody that he's had a personal beef with. He'll never have experienced the walkouts that we're going to bring."
Hughes has forged his career in top European promotion Cage Warriors, where he rose from a 2-0 prospect to become the organization's featherweight world champion.
That run of high-pressure fights in front of raucous crowds has given Hughes a level of experience he says will prove crucial when he faces Nurmagomedov at Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday.
"This is going to play many, many factors into my advantage," he explained.
"Experience that I have already gained in the regional scene, like these Cage Warriors world title fights that I was having (were) unbelievably high pressure, way more high pressure than I feel now.
"I felt a lot more pressure for those fights. This feels like another day in the office. This feels like I've been here before.
"And I've always delivered. I've always come out on top. I've had to dig through hard adversities during fights. I've had to go to dark places to win fights. But I've always f*****g won them. So that's where my confidence comes from."
While Nurmagomedov's record sits at a perfect 18-0, Hughes' resume shows a 13-1 ledger, with his only defeat coming via split decision against UFC featherweight and fellow former Cage Warriors champion Jordan Vucenic. Hughes went on to avenge that loss and capture the unified Cage Warriors featherweight title in one of his best career performances two years later.
Now established as one of the top rising stars on the PFL roster, Hughes plans on showcasing his ability to consistently deliver when it counts.
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"I'm just a competitor. I know how to win. I can find the holes, and I know that I can do that with Usman," he said.
"I've heavily studied his game. I know where the holes are. But, as I say, the longer that this fight goes on and the more that I can drag him into the deeper waters, the more and more it plays into my favor."
And Hughes had a word for those who are doubting his ability to mix it on equal terms with the undefeated Nurmagomedov as he made light of his underdog status ahead of fight night.
"Never, ever doubt a competitor like me, because I am the ultimate competitor," he stated.
"You can call me an underdog all you want, but I find a way to win, always. And I will do the same with Usman."
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