Throughout his marvellous career, Artem Lobov produced a plethora of epic moments, but perhaps none were sweeter than claiming victory over Paulie Malignaggi.
When Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather back in 2016, the world took a keen interest in a secondary storyline that generated almost as many headlines as the major bout itself. During a heated sparring session, the Irishman released a video of himself dropping Malinaggi, who reacted furiously, claiming he had dominated ‘The Notorious’ throughout their rounds and the Dubliner had painted a false picture about what really happened.
The pair engaged in a bitter feud and even had to be dragged away from each other during a media day. Thus, when McGregor lost to Mayweather, many hoped his next clash would be with the man with whom he’d shared such a controversial spar. However, rather than setting foot in the ring with ‘The Magic Man’ himself, he allowed Lobov to step up to the plate for the biggest fight of his career.
With his reputation on the line, the Russian agreed to face Malignaggi in a bare-knuckle boxing bout and subsequently had to deal with his American adversary slapping him in the face during the pre-fight build-up.
When the rivals eventually met, Lobov showcased remarkable powers of self-belief, overcoming a difficult start to dominate the former 2x boxing world champion down the stretch to pick up a unanimous decision victory. And while several years have passed since that fantastic night, Lobov still revels in reminiscing about the moment that wrote his name into the history books.
In an exclusive interview with MMA TV Live, he explained: “It was one of my biggest wins. It was very nerve-wracking because of his antics in the build-up. It felt like a must-win. If I didn’t win, he would’ve never shut up about it. I was delighted to get the result I wanted. That opened up a lot of doors, and I made a lot of money. I’ve had loads of amazing times, like being in The Ultimate Fighter house and travelling the world in the UFC. I loved it all, the wins, the losses, the whole lot.”
After years of giving MMA enthusiasts memories that will last a lifetime, Lobov has said farewell to his days as a competitive athlete. However, rather than wave goodbye to the sport entirely, he’s dedicated his life to helping the next generation, recently guiding Richie Smullen to a fantastic victory at Cage Legacy 22.
The 37-year-old beamed: “I am a father and I’m a bit older. There are no more after-parties for me. I’m just truly delighted for Richie in my heart. I know we’re on the right path towards the UFC, and the hard work is paying off. I’m so happy.”
