MMA fans know the name Artem Lobov very well, due to his stint in the UFC and closer relationship with Conor McGregor. At 34 years of age, and following another recent setback, the Russian Hammer has decided to call it a career.
Lobov had far from the best record in MMA, going 2-5 in the UFC and 13-15 overall, earning the satirical nickname of “The GOAT.” Yet he was known by fans for being a close friend and training partner of Conor McGregor, and for making it to the finale of season 22 of TUF.
According to reports, Artem has decided to retire from combat sports, following his second straight bare-knuckle loss to Denys Berinchyk at Mahatch FC. At the time of writing, he has not revealed why he is making this decision at the current point of his career.
The Complicated Career of Artem Lobov
As previously stated, Artem Lobov had far from a perfect record in MMA, or even in bare-knuckle boxing where he went 2-2. However the reason he was so beloved by fans during his time competing, was simply down to his attitude of being willing to fight anybody, anytime.
On top of that, he had a love for striking, making any fight he was in a fun one, whether he won or lost. The most noteworthy example of this came after the epic war he had with fellow UFC alumni Jason Knight, in their first BKFC bout, which saw both men bloodied and battered by the final bell.
There are some big wins on the record of Artem Lobov, such as his BKFC victory over Paulie Malignaggi or his UFC win over Teruto Ishihara. That being said, his career was something of a living meme, but the world of combat sports will never be the same, with the retirement of the Russian Hammer.
