Artem Lobov turned down a fight with Andre Fili so he could devote his full attention to preparing his teammate, Conor McGregor, for Floyd Mayweather on Aug. 26.

Lobov received a contract offer to fight the Team Alpha Male fighter at UFC 214, but believed the July 29 date fell too close to the polarizing boxing match. A featherweight clash between Fili and Dooho Choi later was announced by the UFC.

“I was offered a fight with Andre Fili,” Lobov told MMAjunkie. “He was calling me out on Twitter. I would’ve taken the fight, but it’s just too hard for me to commit to something on July 29. I’m needed in this camp. It would’ve been too much of a risk for me.”

The SBG Ireland featherweight suggested the caliber of opponent didn’t entice him to sign on the dotted line.

“Let’s be honest: I don’t give a (expletive) about Andre Fili,” Lobov said. “I could fight that guy any day of the week. Once this fight is out of the way, and Conor knocks out Mayweather and has the world at his feet, we can see what’s going to happen then.

“Conor got into the UFC. We all helped him to get there, and then he pulled everybody up there with him. I owe it to him to help him in any way I can.”

There has been a lot of speculation about whether McGregor will bring additional sparring partners and coaches from the boxing world into his camp. Although he underlined the caliber of McGregor’s sparring has been debated on a number of occasions, Lobov did say McGregor would bring in additional help ahead of the fight.

“If you look at it, they said the same things about getting specific training partners before the Jose Aldo fight,” Lobov said. “They said the same for the (Eddie) Alvarez fight, too. They even said the same for the Dustin Poirier fight and for all of the other fights. Look at how those fights ended.

“(Conor) had no issues with sparring partners then. I was his sparring partner then and it was just fine. Obviously, this is boxing and it’s a slightly different game. We understand that and there are sparring partners lined up. We will leave no stone unturned in this camp. Everything is going to be taken care of. The preparation is going to be 100 percent on point.”

Irish boxing legend Steve Collins offered his services to McGregor’s cause earlier this week. Last month, McGregor’s old boxing coach, three-time Olympian Phil Sutcliffe, also claimed he would come to his old student’s aid if he was needed.

Lobov acknowledged the team is aware of the support from the Irish boxing community, but no plans have been put in place to introduce any new coaching staff.

“I know John Kavanagh is going to be involved,” Lobov said. “Owen Roddy will be involved, too. This is the team that we prepare with for every fight, and it will be no different for this fight. This has been the team from the start. This is the dream team, and it’s staying that way. Of course, if we feel that there are some areas where we are lacking knowledge or expertise, we will bring in people.

“It’s great to see all of the Irish boxing community showing their support. It’s really amazing that they are all getting behind Conor. It’s great that they have offered to help. If we do feel like we need that help, we will reach out. As far as I know, it’s the dream team right now that will be helping Conor with his preparation.”

There were some early reports that suggested the bout between Mayweather and McGregor would be contested at 146 pounds. But Lobov believes the heavier weight class of 154 pounds will play straight into the Irishman’s hands.

“That was a bit of surprise for me, to be honest,” Lobov said. “I thought Mayweather would try to push the weight as low as possible. This suits us perfectly. Conor will be a lot bigger than Mayweather now. He’ll be a lot stronger than him. This all plays into our hands.”

As for those criticizing the sporting merit of the boxing match, Lobov urged the doubters to not punish McGregor.

“There’s one thing I would say to all of the critics: Don’t try to hate the man that dares to do the impossible,” Lobov said. “He has proven plenty of people wrong before, so I think it’s time for everybody to support him and believe in him.”

Lobov is certain McGregor will win the fight, and predicts that he will finish Mayweather before the end of the sixth round.

“Conor doesn’t just show up for a payday and take a beating,” he said. “He is in this fight because he knows he can win it. I know he can win this. Not only do I know he can win this, he will win it. I’m 100 percent certain of that.

“He stops him before Round 6 is over. Mark my words.”

For more on “The Money Fight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

Peter Carroll began reporting on the Irish MMA scene in 2010. He writes for Sherdog.com, Irish Daily Mirror and SevereMMA.com. He is also the co-host of the Talking Brawls Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @PetesyCarroll.