Artem Lobov is done trading barbs with Paulie Malignaggi after their BKFC 6 scrap.
This past Saturday night (June 22), Lobov and Malignaggi went the distance inside the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa. There was plenty of bad blood going into the bout. Malignaggi slapped Lobov and even spat on him in the lead-up to their BKFC 6 main event. Lobov ended up scoring the unanimous decision victory and the two embraced.
Lobov appeared on “The MMA Hour” and told Luke Thomas that his beef with Malignaggi is officially over:
“Once you’ve fought somebody, that’s it,” he said. “There’s not much to it anymore. You went in there, you settled it like men one-on-one and that’s it. After that, I don’t think there’s ever a point to kind of carry it with you. You know, that negativity. Just move on with your life and be positive and just enjoy your life and then leave a happy person. That’s how it is for me.”
“The Russian Hammer” went on to reveal what Malignaggi said to him after the fight.
“He just said ‘it’s all respect and whatever was done, sorry about that. It’s in the past, whatever. We built the fight and it’s all nothing but respect.’ And that’s it pretty much.”
Both men did have their gripes with the fight. Lobov wasn’t too pleased with the referee constantly breaking up the clinch position despite punches being thrown. Malignaggi took issue with the Florida state judges.
Do you think Artem Lobov and Paulie Malignaggi are truly done beefing?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 6/24/2019.