BKFC 9: Jason Knight evens the score against Artem Lobov

Heading into the fight in his home of Mississippi, Jason Knight knew he had to end the fight his way. After a controversial scoring by the judges last time out at BKFC 5, Knight wanted to make sure there were no questions asked. He accomplished that goal, taking out Artem Lobov at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 9.

The fight took place inside the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. In another classic, Knight landed a clean left to the eye of Lobov, forcing the referee to wave off the bout.

5th Round KO for you WINNER Jason Knight!#BKFC9 pic.twitter.com/SQqFlXiY8d

— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 17, 2019

Prior to the bout, Knight came onto The Main Event podcast to talk about what he was going to do differently this time out. Realizing how anxious he was the first time, Knight’s gameplan needed some adjusting if he was to walk away with the win.

“In the last fight I got a little wild. After the first punch or two I started throwing bombs and tried my best to knock him (Lobov) out,” Knight stated. “I underestimated him. I thought for sure I was going to land that one big punch to close the show. All I was thinking about was knocking him out, without thinking about how to do that. I made the adjustments in camp, and I’m going to make sure I stay smart. I’m going to fight twice as hard as I did the last time, and I’ve got better cardio and skills. This fight, I’ll show I have more cardio and skills than heart and toughness.”

When it comes to adjusting, Knight had what it took to block all of Artem’s big blows. In the second round, Knight landed a right to the chin of Lobov, knocking him down to the canvas. Knight was able to adjust when Lobov couldn’t, resulting in the ultimate advantage.

.@Jasonthekid23 earning the knock down late in round 2…now we're into round 3 pic.twitter.com/Y7AoF5BmQx

— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 17, 2019

Last time both fighters went at one another it was a bloody mess, with knockdowns from both sides. Here, with a fresh Knight, it felt as if there was something different about both men. There was no desperation on either side, but Knight’s camp made him grow to be the better competitor.

As far as a rematch goes, Knight is interested in determining who the best truly is. While he believes he is 2-0 against Lobov, one more win wouldn’t hurt the confidence of the former UFC star.

“Of course, if he wants it, I love that guy,” Knight stated after the fight. “He has a lot of respect for me. I’ve got the same respect for him. I love that man. Any time he’s not fighting me, I’m going to be rooting him on. And if he wants to get in here and do this a third time then I’m down.”