EXCLUSIVE | Artem Lobov explains how he’ll deal with Alex Caceres’s unorthodox style at UFC 223

At UFC 223, which goes down on April 7 in Brooklyn, New York, Conor McGregor training partner Artem Lobov will return to the Octagon for a scrap with TUF veteran Alex Caceres.

Lobov will enter this fight on a tough, two-fight skid. A third loss would prove very damaging to his status as a member of the UFC roster, and could even result in his being sent elsewhere. Needless to say, he’s going to do everything in his power to come out on top on the card. Against a rangy, unorthodox fighter like Caceres, of course, that’s no easy feat.

Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Lobov explained how he’ll deal with the unique challenges Caceres brings to the table.

“[It’s’] definitely a good matchup,” Lobov said on the show. “This is as good of a matchup as I can expect given the situation I’m in. I really like the matchup. Alex, I know, fought at 135 before, so he is not gonna be that big, which will probably make the takedowns quite hard for him. I don’t think he’ll be able to take me down. I look forward to throwing down with him. He has a very unusual style, but I think I’ll be able to figure him out and break him down.”

“His striking is quite unusual, so it’s always hard to find a sparring partner to do that sort of style,” Lobov added, touching on his preparation for the bout. “But I’m not too worried about that. I have a lot of unorthodox guys in the gym that might not do exactly what he does but still, when it’s unorthodox, you just have to get in there and figure it out.”

“I might come in a little bit tighter than usual in this fight, just given the situation I’m in. I can’t really afford any risks, so I just need a good solid win here and we’ll see what’s next in the future.”

Do you think Artem Lobov can take out Alex Caceres at UFC 223?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/23/2018.