Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Artem Lobov was back in action over the weekend for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, running back his BKFC 5 fight with Jason Knight that was kinda sorta the Griffin-Bonnar of the promotion.
Lobov’s follow up fight against Paulie Malignaggi was an even bigger deal, so we kind of question Artem’s decision to step down for another Knight fight. It didn’t go well for him: the “Russian Hammer” got pummeled in a largely one sided affair until a hard left to the eye socket dropped him for good in the fifth round (watch the highlights here).
We haven’t heard from Lobov since the loss, but his close friend Conor McGregor did react on social media in pretty classy fashion.
”Artem Lobov! What a warrior!” McGregor wrote. “What a journey this has been mate. What a journey this is! You blow me away bro, from the world tours to the ultimate fighter to this! You deserve the world and more my brother! Congrats on another amazing fight! What a story! Brothers for life mate.”
He even threw some love Knight’s way.
”Congrats to Jason Knight,” he finished. “Amazing warrior. Great fight.”
Lobov is a longtime sparring partner of McGregor’s and the “Notorious” rub has been kind to him over the years. He survived in the UFC even after going 2-5 with the promotion, and even headlined a Fight Night. After requesting his release from the promotion, he parlayed McGregor’s beef with former boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi into that aforementioned big money fight (which he won, somehow).
McGregor ain’t wrong, though: Artem is undeniably a warrior. His 13-15-1 MMA record may not be anything to write home about, but only 3 of those losses came by finish. After seeing how much punishment he took from Jason Knight at BKFC 9 over the weekend before going down, we’re not surprised.