Lobov: Did UFC book me on same card as Tony vs. Khabib to bait Conor?

Get the Full StoryArtem Lobov thinks he was booked to fight Alex Caceres at UFC 223 to lure Conor McGregor into the arena. Artem Lobov is slated to fight Alex Caceres better known as Bruce Leeroy at UFC 223, and the The Russian Hammer believes the UFC specifically targeted that event for good reason.

UFC 223 features a highly anticipated main event between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who are set to collide for the undisputed lightweight title on April 7.

Lobov, 31, believes he was booked on the same card as Ferguson vs. Khabib to ensure that his teammate, Conor McGregor, would be ringside for the event.

I d say they definitely might have thought about it, Lobov told Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting in a recent interview. It probably did factor into the decision , and why not?

They flew Conor out to see Aldo s fight in Brazil before when he was defending his belt against Chad Mendes, so I wouldn t be surprised if we see history repeating itself in Brooklyn. I guess they did kind of think about that.

McGregor, the official lightweight champ, stirred up the headlines when he was in attendance for Lobov s featherweight bout against Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk, Poland. The Irishman was cautioned by referee Marc Goddard for circling the cage to give his teammate advice.

The UFC could be looking to bait McGregor into an altercation with the winner of Ferguson vs. Khabib, but Lobov s primary focus is beating Caceres to snap a two-fight losing skid.

I m not too concerned about why they booked me, if I m honest, Lobov continued. I need to fight and I need to win. That s my main focus now. Whether it s in the UFC or elsewhere, you need to be winning in this sport.

SBG Ireland-trained Lobov is looking forward to fighting in Brooklyn, New York, where there is a thriving Irish and Russian community.

The Irish and Russian communities are huge in New York, so this is truly one of the only places where I can fight in front of all of my fans. I really feel like I represent both Ireland and Russia when I fight, so this is a good opportunity to represent both nations.

UFC 223, which will feature both Ferugson vs. Nurmagomedov and Lobov vs. Caceres on the same night, takes place April 7 at the Barclay s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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