An Irish MMA star has insisted that Conor McGregor questioned his Irish identity in a social media spat
Paul Hughes, 27, trains out of Belfast but is from Derry and has risen through the ranks in Bellator, earning a world title shot earlier than expected before coming up short.
He was beaten by Usman Nurmagomedov in the bout, a Russian fighter who is the younger cousin of ex-UFC star Khabib – one of McGregor’s arch rivals from his career.
After the fight, Hughes told the Nurmagomedov team that he has always respected them, distancing himself from McGregor by saying: ‘I’m not like this other guy, I’m my own man,’ seemingly in reference to McGregor.
McGregor then hit back on social media, posting: ‘Get that flag off you you little know what you are **** form up there,’ before swiftly deleting the message.
Hughes responded: ‘Always said u were the goat, paid homage at every opportunity. But coming for my Irish identity just shows where you head is at.’
Conor MCGregor has ignited a feud with a fellow MMA star after ‘coming for’ his Irish ‘identity’
Paul Hughes appeared to mock countryman McGregor after his Bellator fight at the weekend
Hughes lost to Usman Nurmagomedov (right), the younger brother of MMA legend Khabib
McGregor’s future is unclear, with the 36-year-old inactive in UFC since 2021 and recent links suggesting he could be set to fight Logan Paul in the near future.
He also recently lost a civil case in which he was accused of rape at a Dublin hotel in 2018.
He blamed the UFC for blocking a high-profile boxing exhibition against YouTuber-turned-fighter Logan from coming to fruition.
The Irishman claims the fight was derailed due to the UFC’s refusal to approve the bout, despite negotiations and significant financial incentives.
Speaking in an interview with The Schmo, McGregor explained that talks were underway for the fight to take place in Mumbai, India, with an estimated payout of $250million on the line.
The highly anticipated event was rumoured to involve India’s billionaire Ambani family, although no public statements were made by the family regarding the negotiations.
The bout, however, is yet to be finalised, and it remains unclear if it will take place.
Hughes had suggested McGregor could have been part of his corner at the weekend, though that never materialised.
Hughes took to social media to fire back at McGregor after the MMA star’s social media words
McGregor took to social media again on Wednesday night to continue to slam Hughes
McGregor has a long history with the Nurmagomedov family, losing against Khabib in 2018
McGregor also appeared to post on X after the fight that Hughes had ‘dominated’ the bout.
On Wednesday, though, he launched an astonishing social media rant, with one X post reading: ‘No self respecting Irish man would grovel in this manner to a person who has disrespected their flag time and time again and that is a fact. A groveling weasel of the highest order!’
Another post read: ‘ DERRY IS IRELAND! It is not true Irish behavior to grovel at the hands of someone who has disrespected your nation’s flag and is playing a game right in your face as you bow and kiss feet.
‘I am so embarrassed for him caught like that. Hughes born in Oz raised in Derry, trains in Florida, I don’t give a f***, no self respecting Irish man would bow to a man who has disrespected his countrymen and women and their flag time and time again. He got caught as a weasel. Horrid stuff to see. Yuck.’
Among a series of other posts, he said Hughes is a ‘little puppy dog licking feet’ and replied ‘FACT’ to a post reading: ‘He’s kissing Khabib’s a**. He’s a rat.’
His history with the Nurmagomedov family goes back to 2018 when he fought Khabib, insulting the family in the build-up before he lost the eventual bout via submission.
After, Khabib jumped over the case to confront his opponent’s team as the unsavoury scenes continued.
