MMA fighter Paul Hughes received support from fellow Derry native James McClean after facing criticism from Conor McGregor for displaying the Irish tricolour and his comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov.
James McClean has voiced his support for fellow Derry native and MMA fighter Paul Hughes following a public dispute with Conor McGregor. The controversy erupted when Hughes, after narrowly losing a World title fight against Usman Nurmagomedov, was captured speaking to Khabib Nurmagomedov, a prominent rival of McGregor.
Hughes remarked that he was 'not like the other guy' (McGregor), leading to McGregor criticizing Hughes on social media platform X for displaying the Irish tricolour during his entrance. McGregor's posts, now deleted, contained disparaging remarks towards Hughes, calling him names and questioning his Irish identity. The backlash against McGregor's comments has been substantial, with several figures in the Irish MMA community, including former fighters, condemning the former UFC Champion for his harsh words. McClean, a highly respected sports figure from Derry, showed solidarity with Hughes by tweeting, '@PaulHughesMMA proper Irishman, keep flying that flag high, class act that fellow Northerners and fellow IRISH are PROUD of.' Hughes, appearing on Ariel Helwani's MMA show, addressed McGregor's remarks, stating that he wasn't personally offended but acknowledging the potential harm his words could inflict on others, particularly people from his region. He expressed that while he respects McGregor's achievements, he no longer assigns much weight to his words.Hughes also stated that he wouldn't currently accept an apology from McGregor, primarily because of the potential offense it could cause to people from his hometown of Derry, which has a complex and often turbulent history. He emphasized that questioning someone's Irish identity, especially from Derry, can be deeply hurtful. Hughes reiterated that he respects McGregor's legacy but chooses not to engage with his recent online outbursts
JAMES Mcclean PAUL HUGHES CONOR MCGREGOR MMA IRELAND DERRY
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