Conor McGregor has paid compensation to Artem Lobov following a dispute over Lobov's contribution to creating Proper Twelve whiskey. Lobov had filed a lawsuit claiming he helped develop the whiskey brand, while media reports indicated McGregor earned over $100 million from selling his shares in the company. Both McGregor and Lobov declined to disclose the amount of compensation paid. Lobov had previously claimed he was the one who came up with the idea for the whiskey brand. The settlement resolves the legal dispute between the former training partners.
Conor McGregor has paid compensation to fellow SBG Ireland product Artem Lobov, settling a legal dispute centered on Lobov's claimed role in creating the Proper Twelve Irish whiskey brand, it was confirmed on April 16, 2026.
Lobov had filed a lawsuit alleging he was instrumental in developing Proper Twelve, going so far as to assert he originated the idea for the brand entirely. The dispute took on greater significance after media reports indicated McGregor earned in excess of $100 million from the sale of his shares in the company. Neither fighter disclosed the exact figure agreed upon in the settlement.
McGregor, 37, is one of the most recognizable names in combat sports history. The Dubliner carries a professional MMA record of 22 wins and 6 losses and built his reputation as a two-division UFC champion. A southpaw standing five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach, he averaged 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute across his career at a 49 percent striking accuracy rate.
Lobov, also 39 and Irish-based, competed under the SBG Ireland banner alongside McGregor for much of his career. Known as "The Russian Hammer," the southpaw holds a professional record of 13-15-1 and averaged 3.52 significant strikes per minute during his time in the cage. The two were long regarded as close training partners and allies before the business dispute drove a wedge between them.
Why it matters
- The settlement closes a legal chapter that threatened to damage the public legacy of one of MMA's most lucrative business success stories
- Lobov's lawsuit put a spotlight on the contributions of training partners and support figures in athlete-led commercial ventures
- The resolution ends a public rift between two fighters who were previously among the most closely associated names in the sport
