Today, MMA fans know Artem Lobov more as a former friend of Conor McGregor rather than for his time as a UFC and BKFC fighter. The Irish-Russian fighter navigates a turbulent phase in his career, with a multi-million-dollar whiskey lawsuit against McGregor already stirring significant tension. Once again, ‘The Notorious’ casts a shadow over Lobov’s journey as the veteran faces another setback. After five years on the sidelines, Lobov prepared to clash with Dagestan sensation Zubaira Tukhugov, aiming to close the chapter on years of rivalry with the ‘Team Khabib’ standout at the PFL event prelims this Friday.
However, the event suffered a major setback when Lobov injured himself during training, forcing him to cancel the bout with Tukhugov and leaving the prelims card with just six fights, according to PFL social media. In a twist of irony, Lobov publicly blamed Conor McGregor’s BKFC organization for the scrapping of his bout against the ‘Team Khabib’ member.
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Artem Lobov cites BKFC injury as reason for missing PFL match against Zubaira Tukhugov
Reflecting on his recent injury during an appearance on the ‘Ushatayka’ YouTube channel, the 39-year-old Lobov recounted the moment the fight slipped through his fingers. “Naturally, to save the fight, we contacted the PFL,” he told the channel. “So, when the doctor came to stitch me up, he saw it and said, ‘That’s it, no options.’ So there could be no fight because it wasn’t just a cut — I also had this triangle-shaped tear.”
He explained further, “This was most likely due to the fact that I have a lot of scars on my face from Bare Knuckle, and really, from all my fights. There are so many that my face tears very easily.”
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In the world of combat sports, bare-knuckle fighting carries a far more perilous reputation than MMA, with the sport being banned in the United States in the late 19th century. Even today, had former senator and outspoken anti-UFC politician John McCain been alive, he would likely have branded BKFC as “human cockfighting.”
Ironically, the same year he passed, BKFC gained regulatory approval in 2018 and has since risen to claim its place among the most brutal and unforgiving promotions in modern combat sports — a realm where tragedy struck in October 2021, when BKFC fighter Justin Thornton succumbed to injuries sustained during a fight in August, at BKFC 20.
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Beyond this setback, Artem Lobov is far more than the familiar link in the infamous “slapgate” saga between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Indeed, he carries a storied career as a professional fighter, with decades of experience etched on his record. Over 30 years in MMA, Lobov has battled under countless promotions, thereby carving out a reputation as a seasoned veteran.
Dana White flags safety issues at Conor McGregor’s bare-knuckle event
Back in 2021, 38-year-old Justin Thornton entered the BKFC ring for what would tragically become the final fight of his career. During a BKFC event in Mississippi, Dillon Cleckler delivered a brutal 19-second knockout that caused a spinal cord injury and paralysis, ultimately taking Thornton’s life. Consequently, the incident reignited fierce debate over the safety of sanctioning bare-knuckle bouts — a sport long regarded as barbaric since its heyday in the 1800s.
Subsequently, the devastating news reached UFC President Dana White, who did not hesitate to express his disapproval. During the DWCS post-fight press conference, when reporters asked about the event, White offered pointed critiques of bare-knuckle boxing — a realm that has, in recent years, attracted Octagon veterans such as Artem Lobov, ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, and Frankie Edgar after their UFC careers.
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“First of all, is anybody shocked?” White said to reporters in Las Vegas. “I mean, in bare-knuckle fighting? I’m not a big fan. And I get, I guess I would call it concerned when I see some of our people when they leave here and go there. It’s like, oh my God. … But when you look at this, we’ve been putting on fights for 25 years. I’ve done over 7,000 fights with no serious injuries in the UFC.”