Artem Lobov has one eye on the influencer boxing world ahead of his MMA comeback fight.
‘The Russian Hammer’ retired from combat sports after a bare-knuckle defeat to Denys Berinchyk in June 2021.
Over four years later, the 13-15-1 (1NC) MMA veteran is set to make a shock return on October 3 when he’ll square off against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Zubaira Tukhogov, at PFL Champions Series 3.
Artem Lobov was first booked to face Tukhugov seven years ago. The pair’s bout at UFC 223 was scrapped after Conor McGregor attacked a bus containing Nurmagomedov in retaliation for his team’s mistreatment of his friend and training partner during a fight week run-in.
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Artem Lobov vs. Chris Avila 2?
Artem Lobov has watched influencer boxing explode during his spell on the sidelines.
Once he’s done with Tukhogov, the 39-year-old plans to move into that scene and target a rematch with Nate Diaz‘s teammate, Chris Avila, whom he outpointed at UFC 202 in August 2016.
“Those fights are excellent,” Lobov said about influencer boxing during an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow.
“Usually, if a fighter is in that position (older and on a losing streak) and he wants to go and get some money, he is forced to fight some young up-and-comer. An absolute killer. You’d basically get killed but you get a few quid so you can feed your family.
“Celebrity boxing changed that. Now you can have a similar level where you are not gonna get hurt, but you can still have an exciting fight, put on a show for the fans, and feed your family. I see it as a positive.”
Lobov added: “Nate Diaz’s boy, Chris Avila, me and him have history.
“He’s been doing great things in the celebrity boxing space. I have a win over him in MMA in the UFC.
“Me and him could make a great matchup. Obviously, in the first fight, I kind of killed him with leg kicks, and that really affected him. As you know, the Diaz Brothers don’t really check leg kicks, and he paid the price for it.
“In boxing, I think it would suit him better and be a lot more evenly matched fight. It would be exciting.”
Chris Avila’s boxing career
Chris Avila made the full-time transition from MMA to boxing in 2021.
The 32-year-old had a 0-1 record after being outpointed by Vicente Guzman in 2014.
Avila’s second run in boxing saw him put together a seriously impressive five-fight win streak.
Anthony Taylor, Jeremy Stephens, and Anthony Pettis all fell to defeats against him in the ring.
Avila’s career is currently on a downturn after back-to-back losses against Benson Henderson and Ariel Perez.
A fight with Artem Lobov would give him the chance to get back in the win column against a big-name opponent.