Artem Lobov is going to follow Zubaira Tukhugov wherever he goes.
Tukhugov’s UFC career hangs in the balance after his involvement in the melee which marred the UFC 229 main event earlier this month.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate attacked Conor McGregor immediately after the lightweight title bout and UFC President Dana White insisted that Tukhugov would never fight for him again.
Tukhugov was scheduled to fight McGregor’s training partner, Artem Lobov, at UFC Moncton this weekend but was pulled from the card.
Lobov was eager for Tukhugov to stay in the co-main event so that he could exact revenge and ‘The Russian Hammer’ fully intends to fight Tukhugov, no matter where the bout takes place.
“If they cut him, I want to be gone as well,” Lobov told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “I will fight him in ACB, Bellator or any league he wants to do it. But I will get him.
Dana dont let Tukhugov escape his punishment, put him back in! @danawhite
— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) October 11, 2018
“It has to be done inside the Octagon. I want to look this man in the eyes, one-on-one. Once you’re inside that Octagon, it’s one-on-one. Your skill versus his skill. Your heart versus his heart. I want to test his heart in the Octagon. I want to see what he’s got.”
Lobov, who hasn’t fought since his decision defeat to Andre Fili last October, will instead meet Michael Johnson in the co-main event this weekend.
But everything Lobov does from here on out is done with the ultimate goal of getting his hands on Tukhugov.
“I’m only doing this (against Johnson) because I was already ready to go and I haven’t fought in a year,” Lobov added. “For many reasons, I have to take this fight. But make no mistake, I want Zubaira.
“We need this win, but I don’t feel the pressure. To me, this is one step closer to getting Zubaira back. There is nothing else on my mind. That’s the only thing I can even think of. I’m not going to rest, I’m not going to sleep, until I get him back.”
