Artem Lobov Reacts To Epic War With Jason Knight

Artem Lobov met Jason Knight in one of the bloodiest slugfests you’ll ever see in the main event of last Saturday’s (April 6, 2019) Bare Knuckle FC 5 from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss.

The fan favorite emerged with a decision victory but didn’t escape unscathed. Both fighters released photos of the grisly aftermath of the fight, and neither side’s were pretty. Regardless, Lobov is still expected to move onto a grudge match with rival Paulie Malignaggi. The fight is scheduled for a BKFC ring this June 22.

It’s tough to imagine he’d be ready for that fight, but Lobov is known for his iron chin. ‘The Russian Hammer’ appeared on today’s episode of “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” (via Jed I .Goodman) to express his feelings about the fight. Not surprisingly, he loved it:

GOAT said he absolutely love the fight with Jason Knight, was his kind of fight.#HelwaniShow

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 8, 2019

Indeed it was his kind of fight, even if it left him looking like he just barely survived a horror movie. Despite that, Lobov assured everyone he would definitely be back to fight Malignaggi in June:

.@RusHammerMMA says that he'll definitely be ready to fight Malignaggi in June. #HelwaniShow @arielhelwani

— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) April 8, 2019

Lobov had a middling record in the UFC. But he gained a large fan following thanks to his longtime friendship with training partner Conor McGregor. His running joke as MMA’s GOAT certainly can’t hurt his cause either.

The slugger asked for and was granted his release from the UFC earlier this year. It appears to have paid immediate dividends, as Lobov could be BKFC’s biggest star. You could say he already is, and the grudge match with Malignaggi should be even bigger than his debut against Knight.

Things are looking up for the GOAT – even if he has to heal up.