Artem Lobov set to return at UFC 223 in Brooklyn

Conor McGregor training partner Artem Lobov will get another opportunity in the UFC’s Octagon at UFC 223 this April 7. The Russian-born Irishman is set to battle Alex Caceres in an intriguing featherweight bout on the card.

The earliest reports of this bout came from The Mac Life. It has now been confirmed by MMAFighting.com.

Lobov will enter this fight on a two-fight skid, having recently lost decisions to top-10 featherweight contender Cub Swanson and Team Alpha Male staple Andre Fili. These losses were preceded by back-to-back wins over Japan’s Teruto Ishihara and Nate Diaz training partner Chris Avila, a streak that was in turn preceded by losses to Ryan Hall and Alex White in his first two UFC bouts. Lobov is currently 13-14 overall and 2-4 in the UFC.

Caceres, on the other hand, will enter this fight having recently lost a split decision to Wang Guan. This loss was preceded by a TKO win over Rolando Dy, and back-to-back losses to dangerous featherweight prospects Jason Knight and Yair Rodriguez. He’s 13-11 overall.

UFC 223 will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and undefeated contender Khabib Nurmagomedov. What this means for the lightweight title owned by Lobov’s long-time friend and training partner Conor McGregor remains to be seen.

In the past, McGregor has made a habit of attending his training partners fights – often with chaotic results. It will be interesting to see if the Irish superstar attends UFC 223 in Brooklyn, and what kind of madness ensues with his rivals Nurmagomedov and Ferguson also in the building.

Who do you think comes out on top in this must-win featherweight bout between Artem Lobov and Alex Caceres? Do you think the loser’s spot on the UFC roster will be in jeopardy?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/14/2018.