Usman Nurmagomedov believes he was at 50% for Paul Hughes fight

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov believes he was at 50% for the fight against Paul Hughes.

Usman Nurmagomedov is one of the most exciting lightweight fighters on the planet right now in mixed martial arts. However, in his last outing against Paul Hughes, things didn’t all go his own way. The two had an incredible back and forth fight, but in the end, it was Usman who got the nod on the judges’ scorecards.

Because of how close the fight was, though, many want to see Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes run it back. As per the champion himself, though, he was only operating at half of his capacity in that contest.

Usman Nurmagomedov makes big claim about Paul Hughes fight

“I think I can prepare for this fight better,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “I know I can be better, more than I was that night. I for sure know I can finish this guy. After this fight, I see a lot of my mistakes. For myself, I know I was 50 percent in that cage. I will be ready for 100 percent, I know I can finish this guy.”

“For training camp I did it with tough guys, like one or two, but this is not enough,” Nurmagomedov said. “I was alone, and it’s really hard to push yourself when you don’t have your coaches. Everyone was focused on Umar (Nurmagomedov), Islam (Makhachev), Tagir (Ulanbekov) in America.

“Of course, they control me, but it’s different when you’re training at home with your family and your friends. Sometimes you have to spend time a little bit with your family and do some diner with your brothers. This made me a little tired and don’t get you recovered for next training session. Also, when I came to Dubai, I was sick two weeks before the fight.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie