Artem Lobov Presseye / Kevin Scott/INPHO
Presseye / Kevin Scott/INPHO / Kevin Scott/INPHO
ARTEM LOBOV BELIEVES he can defy the odds in resounding fashion by scoring an early stoppage of Cub Swanson in tonight’s main event at UFC Fight Night 108 in Nashville.
At 9/2 (at the time of writing), Lobov is a sizeable underdog in what will be just his fifth bout under the UFC banner. In Swanson — who’s 2/13 to win — he’s facing a vastly more experienced opponent. The 33-year-old fought eight times for the WEC before having the first of his 12 UFC bouts back in November 2011.
Nevertheless, Lobov is adamant that he’s capable of upsetting his Californian opponent, who has headlined UFC cards twice in the past and holds wins over the likes of Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Jeremy Stephens and — in one of the best fights of 2016 — Doo Ho Choi.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s the main event or the first fight of the night,” said Lobov this week ahead of his first headline slot in the UFC, which is scheduled to be contested over five rounds. “All it means to me is that I’m going to be fighting a bit later than usual. I’m getting ready for a 20-round war but I see myself catching him nice and early.”
Advertisement
Swanson is currently ranked fourth in the featherweight division, so a win for the unranked Lobov would constitute an enormous upset. If he can pull it off, the Dublin-based 30-year-old says he won’t be in the mix for a title shot, but he will be staying ready in case there’s a late withdrawal from the meeting of Jose Aldo and Max Holloway in a featherweight title unification bout at UFC 212 on 3 June.
“I would want a few more top guys before I deserve a title shot,” Lobov told The42. “But at the same time, it’s all about opportunity here and being ready at the right time.
“Jose Aldo and Max Holloway are fighting for a belt. Let’s be honest, Jose Aldo is well known for pull-outs. If he pulls out two weeks before his fight and I’ve beaten Cub, who’s going to step up? No one, so who are they going to call? Ghostbusters? No, they’re going to ring me.
“They know that I’ll take the fight, I’ll make the weight and I’ll deliver a good performance and a good fight for the fans. Anything is possible.”
Do you give Artem Lobov a chance of upsetting Cub Swanson tonight?
Poll Results:
Stranger things have happened (688)
Not a hope (445)
UFC Fight Night 108
Main card (3am — BT Sport 2)
Cub Swanson vs. Artem Lobov
Al Iaquinta vs. Diego Sanchez
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima
John Dodson vs. Eddie Wineland
Joe Lauzon vs. Stevie Ray
Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Perry
Prelims (1am — BT Sport 2 and UFC Fight Pass)
Thales Leites vs. Sam Alvey
Dustin Ortiz vs. Brandon Moreno
Scott Holtzman vs. Michael McBride
Jessica Penne vs. Danielle Taylor
Early prelims (11.30pm — UFC Fight Pass)
Alexis Davis vs. Cindy Dandois
Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Proctor
Hector Sandoval vs. Matt Schnell
Lobov plans to be on standby for title bout if he shocks Swanson
ARTEM LOBOV BELIEVES he can defy the odds in resounding fashion by scoring an early stoppage of Cub Swanson in tonight’s main event at UFC Fight Night 108 in Nashville.
At 9/2 (at the time of writing), Lobov is a sizeable underdog in what will be just his fifth bout under the UFC banner. In Swanson — who’s 2/13 to win — he’s facing a vastly more experienced opponent. The 33-year-old fought eight times for the WEC before having the first of his 12 UFC bouts back in November 2011.
Nevertheless, Lobov is adamant that he’s capable of upsetting his Californian opponent, who has headlined UFC cards twice in the past and holds wins over the likes of Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Jeremy Stephens and — in one of the best fights of 2016 — Doo Ho Choi.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s the main event or the first fight of the night,” said Lobov this week ahead of his first headline slot in the UFC, which is scheduled to be contested over five rounds. “All it means to me is that I’m going to be fighting a bit later than usual. I’m getting ready for a 20-round war but I see myself catching him nice and early.”
Swanson is currently ranked fourth in the featherweight division, so a win for the unranked Lobov would constitute an enormous upset. If he can pull it off, the Dublin-based 30-year-old says he won’t be in the mix for a title shot, but he will be staying ready in case there’s a late withdrawal from the meeting of Jose Aldo and Max Holloway in a featherweight title unification bout at UFC 212 on 3 June.
“I would want a few more top guys before I deserve a title shot,” Lobov told The42. “But at the same time, it’s all about opportunity here and being ready at the right time.
“Jose Aldo and Max Holloway are fighting for a belt. Let’s be honest, Jose Aldo is well known for pull-outs. If he pulls out two weeks before his fight and I’ve beaten Cub, who’s going to step up? No one, so who are they going to call? Ghostbusters? No, they’re going to ring me.
“They know that I’ll take the fight, I’ll make the weight and I’ll deliver a good performance and a good fight for the fans. Anything is possible.”
Do you give Artem Lobov a chance of upsetting Cub Swanson tonight?
Poll Results:
UFC Fight Night 108
Main card (3am — BT Sport 2)
Cub Swanson vs. Artem Lobov
Al Iaquinta vs. Diego Sanchez
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima
John Dodson vs. Eddie Wineland
Joe Lauzon vs. Stevie Ray
Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Perry
Prelims (1am — BT Sport 2 and UFC Fight Pass)
Thales Leites vs. Sam Alvey
Dustin Ortiz vs. Brandon Moreno
Scott Holtzman vs. Michael McBride
Jessica Penne vs. Danielle Taylor
Early prelims (11.30pm — UFC Fight Pass)
Alexis Davis vs. Cindy Dandois
Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Proctor
Hector Sandoval vs. Matt Schnell
Artem Lobov: Training with Conor McGregor has left me ready for anyone
Swanson taunts Lobov over McGregor connection ahead of UFC headliner
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Artem Lobov Cub of the green Cub Swanson MMA UFC