Earlier this week, it was announced that streaking UFC featherweight contender Renato Moicano will be flown into Toronto for UFC 231, and kept at the ready in the event that featherweight champ Max Holloway or undefeated challenger Brian Ortega is unable to make it to the cage for the card’s headlining bout. While this means it’s possible that Moicano could get a surprise title shot, it’s more likely that he winds up sitting cage-side as Holloway and Ortega fight as planned. Artem Lobov is offering him a different option.
Instead of flying Toronto and hoping for a short-notice fight, Artem Lobov says Renato Moicano should fly to Toronto and fight him. While Lobov recognizes Moicano is currently situated quite a distance above him in the rankings, he believes he still has something very valuable to offer the Brazilian: publicity.
Here’s what Artem Lobov had to say to Renato Moicano.
https://twitter.com/RusHammerMMA/status/1068172788299640832
“If no one gets injured and you still want to fight, I am ready to go,” he said in his first Tweet to the Brazilian.
https://twitter.com/RusHammerMMA/status/1068182237722656769
“You’ve done the hard work and fought the hard fights, but you lack publicity, a fight with me will take care of that for you,” he added in a second Tweet on the subject. “Let’s go!”
Artem Lobov last fought at UFC Moncton in October, when he lost a decision to short-notice replacement opponent Michael Johnson. With this setback, he fell onto a three-fight skid, having also recently lost to Andre Fili and Cub Swanson.
If Lobov doesn’t get his desired UFC 231 scrap with Renato Moicano, he would seem to have another interesting option for his next fight: a battle with TUF veteran Luis Pena — otherwise known as “Violent Bob Ross.”
Pena has made a few callouts of Lobov of late, most recently in an interview with BJPENN.com.
“It just made sense for me. We are both coming off of losses. In my debut I beat one of his training partner out of [SBG Ireland],” Pena said, explaining the reason for his callout of Lobov. “Then there is the whole controversy between [American Kickboxing Academy] and SBG with the Khabib and McGregor stuff. I thought it just made sense and career-wise and to get the fans talking. I thought it would be a matchup a lot of people would talk about. Plus, I wouldn’t mind sending that guy back to whatever regional scene he belongs in.”
Who would you like to see Artem Lobov fight next?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/30/2018.