Artem Lobov was recently granted and given his release from the UFC, ending that promotional run with a record of 2-5-0 (13-15-1-1NC overall).
Even though Lobov has one of the worst professional MMA records for a UFC veteran, it hasn’t stopped him from claiming to be one of the best fighters in the world.
“What do you call success in our sport? What determines success? Are you successful if you are 10-0 and no one is watching your fights? Is that success? Trust me, your bank account will say otherwise,” Lobov said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (via MMA Mania). “Now that I’ve been in this sport for so long, I know this now more than ever what success is, it’s how many people are watching your fights. If no one is watching, it doesn’t matter what else you are achieving, you are not successful. If people are watching your fights and they care about what you do then that is success to me. As far as I’m concerned, I am one of the most successful fighters in the world.”
Lobov competed seven times in the UFC, headlining one UFC event and competing on one UFC pay-per-view card.
The fighter is looking to sign with another promotion and will go to whomever offers him a seven figure deal first.
“If someone wants to offer me a seven-digit number right now, I am happy to sign straight away and let’s call it a day. Forget all the discussions we can have,” he said. “‘The Russian Hammer’ will make all of your fans scream for whatever organization decides to do that.”
A now released Lobov got into the UFC through the UFC Ultimate Fighter 22, making it to the finals of the reality show.
