It is a secret to none that UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor is a man of his people, and whoever aids him in his victories inside the octagon will reap the benefits. McGregor has been singing the praises of Artem Lobov for quite some time now and up until this point, nobody truly knew how he landed the spot to be McGregor’s main sparring partner:
“How did I become Conor McGregor’s sparring partner? People often say that, but do you see anyone else who is his sparring partner? No, because there’s only me. You know, what you see on TV – him knocking guys out – that’s exactly how it is. It’s not easy sparring Conor McGregor. He’s always wanted to spar and not many people put their hands up. More often than not, no one put their hand up. But I was always there.”
“Day after day, no matter how sore I was, no matter how bad I got hurt, I always came back for more and eventually, there was no one else left. There was only me. So when Conor needed someone to go corner him or go warm him up, there was no one else left. There was just me. I was the only one who survived because I was the toughest.”
Lobov steps into the octagon with Cub Swanson at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on April 22, 2017. Do you think the veteran Swanson will pull off the victory, or will Lobov shock the world and score a win over Cub? Share your predictions in the comment section below!