Ahead of his featherweight fight this Saturday against Michael Johnson, Artem Lobov can’t escape talking about his teammate Conor McGregor.

In an interview with MMAJunkie, Lobov revealed why he believes his friend, former two-division champion Conor McGregor, deserves an immediate rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov following his loss at UFC 229.

“I think that’s the fight that makes sense. He’s made everyone in the UFC, including Khabib, a lot more money than they ever have made, so why not give him this? He’s been the guy that always took everybody on. There’s been many changes of opponents for him. He never blinked an eyelid – just took the fights, no problem. Never pulled out in his life. A true fighter. A fighter’s fighter. A real man. So give him the fight.”

Lobov believes a rematch could happen as early as six-months from now. This of course depends on the fallout from the UFC 229 post-fight antics from Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov with the NSAC. Despite “The Russian Hammer” backing his teammate for a second-fight with the undefeated UFC lightweight champion, he knows there is plenty of work to be done.

“(The rematch) requires a good camp,” Lobov explained “It’s not an easy opponent. There were a lot of mistakes made. Many things need to be corrected. So there’s no need to rush.”

Lobov (14-14-1) was slated to face Zubaira Tukhugov this Saturday at UFC Moncton. However the AKA product’s post-fight actions following UFC 229 forced UFC President Dana White to remove him from the card. Instead Lobov faces Johnson, who is coming off his first win since Sept. 2016.

Lobov is in desperate need of a victory, having lost back-to-back fights and four of his last six bouts. The 32-year-old hasn’t tasted victory since a Nov. 2016 win over Teruto Ishihara at UFC Fight Night 99.

Who are you picking to win this weekend’s Artem Lobov vs. Michael Johnson fight? Do you agree with “The Russian Hammer” that Conor McGregor deserves an immediate rematch with “The Eagle”?