Francis Ngannou joins Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor, and others in praising Paul Hughes's performance despite loss
Francis Ngannou recently joined Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor and many others in heaping praise on Paul Hughes despite coming up short in his lightweight title fight. The 27-year-old lost a very close majority decision to 'The Eagle's' highly touted cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov but earned the respect of the MMA community.
The Bellator lightweight title bout between Usman and Hughes headlined PFL Champions Series: Dubai last Saturday and didn't disappoint. Both fighters had their moments throughout the bout. In the end, the Dagestani earned the decision. 'The Eagle' and Makhachev, who were in their teammates' corner, congratulated Hughes after the bout and again on social media, where they even extended an invitation for him to train with them in Dagestan.
'Big News' took to his Instagram account and posted a photo from the bout along with a caption expressing interest in a rematch. 'The Predator' shared the post to his story and commended him for his toughness:
"You're a beast @paulhughesmma"
In addition, Ngannou took to the comments section on Hughes' initial post and shared his thoughts on his performance. Ngannou mentioned that the Irishman has a lot of potential and that he looks forward to seeing what's next for him in the PFL:
"You're a legit man; you have a bright future, and I'm excited to watch."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below:
![Francis Ngannou's comments regarding Paul Hughes' performance [Screenshots courtesy: @francisngannou and @paulhughesmma on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/38c57-17380056477138-1920.jpg?w=500)
Francis Ngannou admits he counted Paul Hughes out in the past
In addition to praising Paul Hughes' performance against Usman Nurmagomedov at PFL Champion Series: Dubai, Francis Ngannou also admitted that he counted him out in the past.
PFL posted a clip from a recent interview with 'The Predator' previewing the lightweight clash to the Bellator X account. Ngannou mentioned that he didn't favor Hughes when he fought A.J. McKee but after his win, was convinced that the 27-year-old is a legitimate contender:
"I counted [Hughes] out and my mistake. But, he managed to pull A.J. McKee out properly... And then from that moment, he got my respect."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below: