Artem Lobov News

Justin Golightly - October 21, 2017

We’re just a couple of hours away from Poland’s mid-afternoon UFC event, a place that some MMA fans claim Artem Lobov doesn’t belong. They come out of the woodwork every fight. Lobov will be taking on Team Alpha Male’s Andre Fili. Despite the history between the two gyms, there wasn’t much trash talk. Actually, Fili recently opened up about his respect for Lobov and talked about the unforgiving fans who make the internet a mine field for fighters. “I’ve been around him a lot more than other guys that I get picked to fight. There is no bad blood, though. There’s no disrespect. I don’t feel any negative emotion towards him as a person. He’s alright. He’s tough, he puts on exciting fights and he’s got a good chin – all these things make for an exciting fight. I’m just excited to get in there to let my hands go and get this win. He doesn’t have the best record, but he’s fought some of the best guys in the world. I think most of the people who talk about him not deserving to be in the UFC are guys who have never been in a cage and have fought for a living.”

Justin Golightly - October 20, 2017

Are you having trouble getting out of bed today? Does the idea of facing work for one last day just seem too insurmountable of a challenge? Has your daily intake of coffee failed to properly motivate you? No problemo, Artem Lobov is here to make sure you start the day right and proper. He walked onto the scales early this morning in Gdansk, Poland weighing right at 145lbs for his fight with Andre Fili and proceeded to give most likely the best post-weigh-in speech in UFC history. Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) welcomes you aboard The Siberian Express. Choo, choo, motherf*ckers. #UFCGdansk

Tom Taylor - October 15, 2017

This Saturday, the UFC will touch down in the Polish port city of Gdansk with the compelling, 12-fight UFC fight Night 118. While the main card will feature names like Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Darren Till, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Jan Blachowicz it’s arguable that one of the most intriguing fights on the entire bill occurs on the undercard, where Conor McGregor training partner Artem Lobov is scheduled to battle Team Alpha Male staple Andre Fili. Now a little less than a week out from fight night, Lobov is doing what he can to rattle his talented opponent’s cage. His latest jab at Fili occurred on Twitter, where he posted a picture of himself brandishing a firearm, and assured Fili is “fucked.”

Justin Golightly - October 14, 2017

It wasn’t too long ago that the internet weighed in with criticisms that Artem Lobov didn’t belong in the UFC, or in a fight with Cub Swanson. That all quieted down when Conor McGregor’s right hand man took the fourth best featherweight in the world to a decision. He didn’t win the fight, but it was a moral victory. Now, Lobov will set his sights on Andre Fili for a showdown in Poland on October 21st. Needless to say Lobov is eager to get back to hurtling fists at the jaws of an opponent, especially Fili. “On The Ultimate Fighter [Andre Fili and I] had a bit of a back and forth. Afterwards, I still wanted to fight him but he was like, ‘If he doesn’t win The Ultimate Fighter I don’t want to fight him. I was like, ‘Whatever’. I don’t chase them, I replace them. I left it but I got an opportunity to step in on short notice in July but obviously I was in the middle of the Mayweather camp with Conor [McGregor], so it was an obvious choice. I wasn’t going to sacrifice that just to fight Fili. Let’s be honest, it’s not that big of a fight — it’s a fight I could have gotten any weekend.”

Justin Golightly - August 24, 2017

Between the controversial sparring bouts, the photos, the video leaked by Dana White, and their altercation at media day, it’s looks like Conor McGregor is fighting Paul Malignaggi on Saturday instead of Floyd Mayweather. Of course, if Malignaggi gets his way, they could fight next year on St. Patrick’s day. Although, McGregor’s right hand (or is it left hand?) man, Artem Lobov, isn’t convinced that fight will happen. He recently spoke to Submission Radio to put this Malignaggi situation to rest. “Everybody always talks about Conor, says this and the other, but he truly is a man that likes a challenge. I mean, he is doing this fight [with Floyd Mayweather], why? Because no one before him was able to beat Floyd Mayweather. That’s why Conor is here to prove, that yes, it can be done. But Malignaggi doesn’t present any kind of a challenge. Conor doesn’t fight just for the money. You know, the money is the last thing on his mind – well, maybe not the last thing on his mind. Of course, you know, it plays a big part, but he needs a challenge. It needs to be someone that will truly push him to the next level. Malignaggi is not one of those guys, so I really doubt it’s gonna be him.”

Justin Golightly - August 18, 2017

It wasn’t too long ago that Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov fought Cub Swanson in a Fight of the Night. While the hammer couldn’t drive the nail to one of the top featherweights on the planet, he did put on a scrappy and entertaining fight. While a ton of fans and even media tried to say that Lobov did not deserve his spot in the UFC, he proved it with that performance. If you’re still not convinced, the UFC sure is. Lobov will make his return to the Octagon in October against Team Alpha Male’s Andre Fili at UFC Gdansk. Now that’s a fun fight! @RusHammerMMA vs. @TouchyFili on deck for #UFCGdansk!

Tom Taylor - August 13, 2017

Though Conor McGregor is being widely discredited in the buildup to his blockbuster August 26 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr, he and his team are brimming with confidence. UFC featherweight Artem Lobov, who serves as one of McGregor’s main training partners, explained the surplus of confidence inside the camp in a recent interview with MMAJunkie.com. Apparently, much of it comes down to McGregor’s recent lightweight title win over Eddie Alvarez, which made him the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes concurrently.

Tom Taylor - June 7, 2017

Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 212, once-dominant UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo had his throne usurped by young Hawaiian star Max Holloway, as he wilted under a swarm of third-round punches. With this outcome, Aldo finds himself at a relatively unfamiliar juncture, no longer a champion but a contender in the crowded UFC featherweight division. From here, it’s difficult to say who Aldo should fight next – if he even stays at featherweight. There are of course, plenty of interesting options in that regard.

Tom Taylor - May 9, 2017

When it was first announced that the unranked Artem Lobov would be fighting the UFC’s fourth-ranked featherweight in Cub Swanson, there was widespread backlash. Many fans suggested this was an opportunity the Russian-born Irishman didn’t deserve, and one that was only being afforded to him because of his friendship MMA megastar Conor McGregor. In the end, however, Lobov silenced many of his doubters. Though he did not defeat Swanson, he battled the elite featherweight for five, wild rounds, and even won the first in the eyes of many spectators. With this gutsy performance, Lobov earned the respect of the MMA community, validated his spot on the UFC roster, and set himself up for more big opportunities as a UFC featherweight.

bjpenndotcom - May 2, 2017

Last month, SBG Ireland’s very own Artem Lobov stepped into the Octagon for the biggest fight of his career as he fought #4 ranked featherweight Cub Swanson in the main event of ‘UFC Fight Night: Nashville’. Prior to the fight, Swanson went as far as to say that Lobov didn’t belong in the UFC. Following their hard-fought five round war which saw Swanson awarded the win via unanimous decision, Lobov’s stock has never been higher. While ‘The Russian Hammer’ may not see it that way, he is looking to secure his next fight in hopes of returning to the win column.

Chris Taylor - April 23, 2017

Conor McGregor sends Artem Lobov a message following loss to Cub Swanson at UFC Nashville Featherweight fighters Artem Lobov and Cub Swanson went to war in the main event of UFC Fight Night 108 yesterday evening in Nashville.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in “Music City,” Nashville, Tennessee, with a 13-fight card. This card featured plenty of action, as Brandon Moreno scored an epic submission win over Dustin Ortiz on the undercard, Mike Perry picked up an elbow-induced KO of the year contender over Jake Ellenberger, and Al Iaquinta crushed Diego Sanchez in the co-main event. Though the main event, which pitted the UFC’s fourth-ranked featherweight Cub Swanson against Conor McGregor training parter Artem Lobov, did not produce a stoppage, it was no exception to the exciting tone of the card. As a massive betting underdog, Lobov was given little chance against his well-established foe. That said, the Russian-born Irishman hung in there remarkably well, even arguably winning the first round. In the second, however, Swanson began to find his groove, punishing his foe with a dizzying array of strikes – from jumping switch kicks to spinning elbows. Amazingly, Lobov was able to eat everything the powerful Swanson threw at him, which meant that fans got to enjoy five wild rounds of action.

Tom Taylor - April 20, 2017

This weekend, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Nashville, Tennessee, Conor McGregor training partner Artem Lobov will take a massive step up in competition as he throws down with the UFC’s fourth-ranked featherweight, Cub Swanson. Given that Lobov owns an admittedly unimpressive record of 13-2-1, and is not even ranked in the featherweight top-15, there is a widespread feeling that he doesn’t deserve this opportunity. According to Swanson himself, however, the ever-improving Russian should not be taken lightly. “The reality of it is, [Lobov] is still getting better,” Swanson told MMAJunkie. “Every fight that he’s had in the UFC, he’s made strides. He’s an awkward guy, but he’s getting better. He’s training with a good camp, he’s got good people around him, he’s motivated, he’s hungry.”

Tom Taylor - April 20, 2017

The biggest story in combat sports today surrounds a boxing mega fight between undefeated great Floyd Mayweather, and Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor. While this potential showdown initially looked nearly impossible, it is looking more and more probable by the day. And now, Artem Lobov, one of McGregor’s main training partners, wants in on the action. Though Lobov is just days away from the biggest fight of his career, a Saturday night, main event battle with the UFC’s fourth-ranked featherweight Cub Swanson, he has found time in his schedule to initiate a Twitter feud with another titan of the boxing world: Amir Khan.

Tom Taylor - April 18, 2017

Will @RusHammerMMA stun Swanson at #UFCNashville? pic.twitter.com/uuxc0YYJnn — UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) April 18, 2017

Tom Taylor - April 17, 2017

This weekend, in the main event of UFC Nashville, featherweight contender Cub Swanson will take on Russian-born Irishman Artem Lobov. Given that Swanson currently sits inside the featherweight top-5, and Lobov sits outside the top-15 with an undeniably unimpressive 13-12-1 overall record, the announcement of this fight caused more than a few head scratches. Yet Lobov asked for it, Swanson accepted, and here we are. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, host Ariel Helwani asked Swanson if he had seen the widespread opinions that Lobov doesn’t actually deserve to be in the UFC, and that he’s only made it to the big stage as a result of his association with MMA mega star Conor McGregor. Swanson then got talking on the subject, explaining that he believes Lobov is skilled, but that he hasn’t taken his career seriously, and that he probably has ridden McGregor’s coat tails to a degree.

bjpenndotcom - March 23, 2017

On April 22nd, SBG Ireland’s very own Artem Lobov will have the biggest fight of his professional career as he fights #4 ranked featherweight Cub Swanson in a highly anticipated main event showdown. Ahead of the fight, Lobov, who holds a 13-12-1 professional record, and is currently on a 2-fight win streak, found himself criticizing fighters with padded records during a recent appearance on Submission Radio.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2017

Last night, in the co-main event of UFC London, Icelandic grappling specialist Gunnar Nelson scored an extremely impressive submission win over a game Alan Jouban. With this win, Nelson reminded the world why he’s considered one of the best welterweights on earth, and set himself up for some massive fights in the stacked welterweight division. Nelson, of course, has never been much of a talker, so impressive wins like this are very important for him when it comes to maintaining the interest of the fans. In the wake of Nelson’s win, his training partner Artem Lobov took to Twitter to express his belief that fighters should do their talking in the cage, rather than outside of it. In this Tweet, he directly addressed UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley, who has recently generated some controversy by calling himself the worst treated champ in UFC history, and claiming that he frequently deals with racism, even as a UFC champ.