The post-UFC 229 brawls have affected much more than just the October 6th event. Shortly after, Zubaira Tukhugov was removed from his scheduled clash with Artem Lobov at UFC Moncton. Tukhugov was one of the team Khabib (Nurmagomedov) members who entered the Octagon and attacked Conor McGregor.
With the animosity surrounding Team Khabib and Team McGregor, Lobov and Tukhugov were to clash in Moncton. However, after Tukhugov’s actions, he was removed from the fight, and UFC President Dana White suggested he could be cut from the UFC. Lightweight champion Khabib has threatened to leave the UFC himself if his teammate is cut. Lobov even lobbied to have Tukhugov remain on the card.
His efforts, however, fell flat. Tukhugov has officially been removed from the fight and Lobov will instead face Michael Johnson, per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. This is a much more difficult fight for “The Russian Hammer.” Johnson has wins over the likes of Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza, and Dustin Poirier in his career.
It will be interesting to see how Lobov fares against an opponent the caliber of Johnson.
What do you think about Johnson stepping in against Lobov?
