On Saturday night, Artem Lobov went toe-to-toe with Jason Knight in a five round war that saw both men bloodied, bruised and left needing stitches. On Monday morning, Lobov wants it to be made very clear. You’re absolutely right he’ll be ready to fight again in June.

Minutes after his fight with Knight was finished, Bare Knuckle FC president David Feldman announced Lobov and Paulie Malignaggi would headline an event on June 22 later this year. While some were concerned in the immediate aftermath that Lobov wouldn’t be able to recover and return so quickly from the damage he took in the fight, today The Russian Hammer appeared on the Ariel Helwani MMA show to laugh off such concerns.

After all, he says, he’s got unfinished business with Malignaggi.

“I can’t wait to slap his motorboat mouth into next week,” Lobov said. “He was supposed [to be there on Saturday], but again, the pussy didn’t show up. Why didn’t he show up then? Because he was terrified. He thought I was probably going to be there with my whole team and this and that. He was paid to show up, but he didn’t. He made some excuse, and he was not there.”

When asked by Helwani if he thought Malignaggi would be having second thoughts after seeing the brutal contest, Lobov said it wasn’t a matter of the second thoughts, it was a matter of Malignaggi simply having no other option.

“Trust me, if he had a chance, he would be gone along time ago,” Lobov said. “But he his broke. That is a fact. He used to live in L.A., he ran out of money, moved back home with his parents in New York and that’s it. That’s why he’s coming back to fight. He doesn’t want this. This is a fact. But I fucking love this. So let’s see what happens. But when he shows up, and let’s hope he does, I’m going to pound him into next week.

“We all know he can talk. He’s being doing nothing but talking lately. So let’s fight. Let’s fight. Just please show up, Paulie. I’m begging you. Just show up.”

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