Featherweights
Michael Johnson (18-13) vs. Artem Lobov (13-14-1)Advertisement
One unintended side effect of UFC 229’s show-ending brawl was that it got people talking about this co-main event, as Conor McGregor training partner Lobov was set to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov associate Zubaira Tukhugov. However, with Tukhugov’s involvement in said brawl, Johnson steps in to take on “The Russian Hammer.” Lobov is better than his mediocre record would suggest, given that he fought a tough slate of opponents on the regional scene, but he also does probably owe his UFC job to McGregor; few other fighters would have survived opening their career with one-sided losses to Ryan Hall and Alex White. Lobov is a solid fundamental boxer and showed that he can at least do enough to beat the lower reaches of the UFC’s featherweight division with subsequent wins over Chris Avila and Teruto Ishihara. Still, Lobov’s lack of physical gifts put a clear ceiling on what he can do. His short arms have become a punchline, and fights against White and Andre Fili have shown that longer fighters still present a problem.
Lobov’s difficulty with reach makes for good news for Johnson, who had a solid reach for lightweight that has been enhanced further down at 145 pounds. Johnson is a frustrating talent. After starting his career as a well-rounded grinder, his striking game finally seemed to turn the corner with a four-fight winning streak that began with Joe Lauzon and ended with Edson Barboza, putting him on the fringes of lightweight contender status. However, that gave way to a horrific run that saw Johnson lose five of his next six bouts. He had his moments in almost every fight, especially early, and his knockout win over Dustin Poirier was a reminder of his blistering hand speed, but all of Johnson’s mental faults were on display. He could easily be lured into a brawl, and if a bout started to turn against him, Johnson would typically fold under pressure. Johnson has tried to turn things around with a cut to featherweight, and results have been middling. He looked like much the same fighter in a loss to Darren Elkins, and his last appearance -- a win over Fili -- was nothing special. In general, a cut down seems like a baffling move for someone whose greatest strength was his speed, but Johnson still has enough talent to probably hold serve in his new weight class.
The style matchup here probably favors Lobov, as the adopted Irishman should be able to pressure Johnson, who has shown a tendency to cave when his opponent is relentless enough. However, this does look like a fight where Lobov’s lack of physical gifts are going to do him in. Johnson has enough speed in his hands to tee off on Lobov at will, and his considerable reach advantage only makes things easier. There is a small chance that Lobov can overwhelm Johnson through sheer force of will, which would be a damning indictment of “The Menace,” but this looks like Johnson’s fight to lose. There is a decent shot of a knockout, but Lobov has proven to be ridiculously tough, if nothing else. The pick is Johnson via decision.
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