There were a lot of fights this weekend. UFC Sao Paulo failed to seize the imagination of fans but one card that did live up to its promise was BKFC 9 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Unbeaten bare-knuckle fighter Artem Lobov took on his former opponent Jason Knight in a rematch.
The pair had already clashed in a savage, bloody war earlier this year. Lobov got the decision after several knockdowns cost ‘The Kid’ the fight. But it was very entertaining and these two definitely have a lot of respect for each other. After beating Paulie Malignaggi, Lobov then gave Knight a chance to earn redemption.
In short, Knight seized his chance with open hands. Or should we say bare-knuckles? He got the win via a fifth-round KO, putting a beating on the man they call The GOAT. Check out the full highlights below of another intense contest.
https://twitter.com/mma21plus/status/1195925911511732225
War
This was a hard-fought fight. Knight got the early advantage, butting Lobov under a barrage of pressure, but you couldn’t count the Russian Hammer out. In short, he took the first two rounds, putting together a higher output. In the second round, Knight dropped Lobov with a right hand. The referee allowed it to continue after a short count.
Knight’s volume dropped off in the third and fourth rounds allowing Lobov to come back into the fight. When he did string punches together his combinations looked good, but the Russian fighter was able to put on more pressure. In bare-knuckle boxing, that’s what counts.
However, the finish came in the fifth and final round. Knight caught Lobov with a punch and the Russian dropped to his knees. He clearly had a problem with his eye and was unable to continue. Finally, ‘Hick Diaz’ had got his revenge.
.@RusHammerMMA with a cut under the left eye heading into Round 4#BKFC9 pic.twitter.com/fJ2XpQn2P5
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 17, 2019
Damage
Lobov took a lot of damage in this fight. However, his stock will have fallen after rising to become one of the promotion’s biggest stars. Will he stay in BKFC or could he go back to MMA? He’s been in negotiations with BRAVE FC in the past so don’t be surprised if he puts back on his 4oz gloves. Finally, he summed up:
“I don’t really know what else is in store for me, I have to talk to [BKFC president] David Feldman and see what the story is. Get well and then see what happens”
He definitely needs to take some time away. We’ve seen what happens when you accumulate scar tissue. Just ask Nate Diaz. This can cost you fights.
.@Jasonthekid23 earning the knock down late in round 2…now we're into round 3 pic.twitter.com/Y7AoF5BmQx
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 17, 2019
Trilogy
Knight insists that he will give Lobov a rematch if he wants it. To sum up, he said that he has nothing but respect for ‘The Russian Hammer’ and will root for him whenever he fights. But let’s hope Lobov heals up first as that eye didn’t look good. Meanwhile, Joey Beltran beat Chase Sherman to become the BKFC Heavyweight Champion. For full results from a night of action in Mississippi, check out below:
Main Card
Jason Knight def. Artem Lobov via TKO.
Joey Beltran def. Chase Sherman via unanimous decision
Johnny Bedford def. Charles Bennett via TKO.
Helen Peralta def. Maia Kahaunaele via TKO.
Kenny Licea def. Harris Stephenson via TKO.
Chris Sarro def. John McAllister via KO.
Kaleb Harris def. Jeff Chiffens via TKO.
Wes Combs def. Adrian Miles via DQ.
Preliminaries
Dillard Pegg def. Adam Pellerano via KO.
