Irishman Paul Hughes believes he should have been awarded victory in his Bellator lightweight championship bout against Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai on Saturday night.
The champion admitted afterwards he had “underestimated” Hughes but retained his belt and extended his record to 19-0 after the judges scored the fight 47-47, 48-46, 48-46 in his favour.
The 27-year-old challenger, however, said the decision was “pretty ridiculous”.
“As always I’m going to have to watch it back to get a good assessment and a clear-minded assessment, but as we know, we all thought I won that one,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous, but as I say I’ll watch it back with a clear mind.
“I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage. I thought it was mine.”
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