It wasn't the result that Paulie Malignaggi, or indeed 99 percent of the boxing community, expected. However, Artem Lobov's close-but-decisive win against the former two-time world champion boxer has got people talking.
A pair of contentious sparring sessions in Las Vegas, months of subsequent trash-talking and bad-mouthing (and spitting) led to this, but when all was said and done inside the Bare Knuckle FC ring in Tampa, Florida on Saturday night, it was Artem Lobov who had the final word.
'The Russian Hammer' earned a unanimous decision victory against rival Malignaggi to quell – for now at least – one of the unlikeliest, yet loudest, feuds in recent years.
Also on rt.com Artem Lobov stuns Paulie Malignaggi, outpoints rival to win ill-tempered bareknuckle grudge matchLobov's victory was a more measured one than the wild, blood 'n' guts brawl he displayed just nine weeks ago against Jason Knight, but his strategy of avoiding biting on Malignaggi's feints and rushing in with power shots of his own proved crucial in separating the two fighters on the scorecards.
It was a surprise that many had suggested was possible but perhaps few were confident enough to actually predict, so when the result was announced in the BKFC ring late on Saturday night, it caused more than a few Twitter users to rub their eyes.