Artem Lobov expecting a “Fight of the Year candidate” in bare-knuckle fight against Olympic silver medalist Denys Berinchyk

Artem Lobov is eager to face Denys Berinchyk on July 24.

In the main event of Mahatch FC, Lobov will face the current undefeated WBO international lightweight champ boxer in Berinchyk. He’s also an Olympic silver medalist, winning the medal in 2012. His résumé speaks for itself which is why Lobov is excited about the fight.

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“Not at all, I always look for big challenges. I get a lot of offers from people and if I don’t see it as a big enough challenge, I say I’m not interested,” Lobov said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I’ve always looked for the tougher challenges and I’m in a position where I can kind of choose a little bit. I always go for the hardest. When I get offered someone who I don’t feel is like a good fighter, like a lot of times promotions will do that, like give me an easy fight build it up a little bit, and then a hard fight…

“I turn that down because that’s not how I work. It’s not something I will ever do, like give me the toughest challenge you have,” Lobov later added. “They then came back with Denys, I looked at everything he achieved and how he fights and I said yes, this is the proper challenge for me. He’s the kind of fighter I want to face.”

Entering the fight, Lobov knows Berinchyk has pure boxing skills as evidence by his 15-0 record. Yet, the fan-favorite knows getting hit with a boxing glove compared to a bare-knuckle is vastly different. He also expects it to be an entertaining fight for the fans.

“Absolutely, people don’t realize it, and I didn’t realize it until my first fight. It’s completely different,” Lobov said. “In the build-up to this fight, I heard Denys say he has had a lot of street fights. Street fights are nothing like bare-knuckle fights versus a professional fighter that has done it and knows what he’s doing… He’s ballsy, he’s not a p***y. This is the kind of guy who can allow me to put on a great performance and a Fight of the Year candidate just like the first Jason Knight fight.”

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Entering the scrap, Artem Lobov has a ton of confidence as he knows he has the skillset to beat the undefeated boxer. He will also be much bigger than Berinchyk. With that, he says his experience in bare-knuckle fights and his knowledge in the clinch will lead him to the win.

“I’m hoping to clinch him a lot and wear him out. I’m going to have a big size advantage as this will be my first time at 140lbs,” Lobov said. “I wanted to get down to that weight, as I plan to go into boxing at some point. The 135lbs division in boxing is stacked. There are a lot of young, interesting in that division that I can mix and match with really well.

“I’m kind of looking in at that aspect as well. I expect a great fight but I will come out with the win,” Lobov continued. “My power and size will be too much for him, my experience in bare-knuckle will be too much for him. I should win this not comfortably, it will be a tough fight, I don’t expect an easy fight but I expect to win here.”

If Artem Lobov does get his hand raised on July 24, he says it would allow him to go into boxing and get some big fights. He has talked about wanting to box for quite some time and plans to do that with a win.

“I will be onto the boxing promoters and say look at what I’m doing to your boxing guys,” Lobov concluded. “I have already defeated a two-time champ in Paulie, I defeated Denys who’s an undefeated Olympic silver medalist and I’m doing it at their own game with no gloves on. Do you think I’d be afraid to fight the same guys with pillows on my hands? Come on.”

Do you think Artem Lobov will beat Denys Berinchyk in their bare-knuckle fight on July 24?