Artem Lobov and Alex Caceres are set to meet in a featherweight division attraction this April at UFC 223.
Lobov is a close friend of UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor and he wonders if the booking at UFC 223 is due to the close relationship with the Irishman.
“I’d say they definitely might have thought about it,” Lobov told MMA Fighting. “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 could also be at the event due to the rumors that he could be stripped of the UFC Lightweight Title at that time.
The fighter is also excited to be a part of the card because he can fight in front of the Russian and Irish MMA fans.
“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,” says Lobov.
UFC 223 takes place on Saturday, April 7 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
