Fili outworks Lobov as McGregor hams it up at UFC Gdansk
On a day Andre Fili got the W, a suit-clad Conor McGregor hogged the spotlight.
Fili submitted a mature performance in his unanimous decision victory over featherweight Artem Lobov - McGregor's SBG Ireland cohort - at UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday, and while he and Lobov did their damnedest to regale those in attendance at Ergo Arena, McGregor made himself the center of attention before the bout even began.
The Irishman was cageside to watch his teammate compete, and began shouting instructions as Lobov readied himself for battle:
McGregor's pointers did Lobov no favors, as Fili remained fleet of foot, worked his jab, and capped Round 1 with a head kick that sent the Russian crashing to the canvas:
A fired-up McGregor resumed his antics in the middle stanza, which drew him a stern warning from no-nonsense referee Marc Goddard, who pointedly reminded him Lobov already had three men in his corner and didn't need a fourth.
Lobov's luck wouldn't change, as Fili followed a closely contested second round with a lopsided, takedown-heavy third to get the nod by three scores of 30-27. The 27-year-old rebounded from a decision loss to Calvin Kattar suffered at UFC 214 this past July and avenged teammate Teruto Ishihara's November defeat to Lobov.
The 31-year-old Lobov - whose history with Fili dates back to "The Ultimate Fighter 22" - saw his UFC record fall to 2-4 with his second straight defeat, and revealed he was contemplating retirement shortly afterward:
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