Last week, the mixed martial arts (MMA) world was dealt some soul-crushing news when it was revealed the GOAT Artem Lobov had been released from the UFC. Now, Lobov will apparently donate his entire fight purse to fight a rival still in the UFC.
‘The Russian Hammer’ requested his release and was granted it, choosing to pursue fights in boxing, kickboxing, and other MMA organizations. Over the weekend, he apparently tried to “rap” his way onto the Bellator roster by appealing to rapper 50 Cent:
Rivalry
Today (Mon., February 4, 2019), Lobov appeared on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” to discuss just what is next for him. He doesn’t have a clear direction of where he’s heading just yet, but one fight is clearly sticking in his mind.
That’s his previously scheduled fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s good friend and teammate Zubaira Tukhughov. The bout fell apart at last October’s UFC Moncton when Tukhugov was involved in the infamous UFC 229 post-fight brawl. The Dagestani was dealt a one-year suspension by the NSAC for his involvement last week.
But Lobov won’t let that one go. He told Helwani that he was willing to donate his entire purse to charity in order to fight Tukhugov:
Not Happening As Of Now
That’s going to be a tough sell, however – at least for now. The GOAT doesn’t isn’t officially employed by a promotion. As for Tukhugov, he’s still in the UFC. The face he’s currently suspended makes any potential fight between
You have to admire Lobov’s heart and resiliency at getting this fight booked. But it just isn’t going to happen unless Tukhugov leaves the UFC.
If “The Russian Hammer” truly wanted that fight so badly, he would have had to stay in the UFC and wait for Tukhugov to get off suspension.
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