Conor McGregor has paid compensation to Artem Lobov following Lobov's legal claim for his role in creating the Proper Twelve whiskey brand. Lobov had filed a lawsuit seeking payment for his alleged contributions to the brand's development. Media reports indicated McGregor earned over $100 million from selling his shares in the whiskey company. Both McGregor and Lobov declined to disclose the specific amount of the settlement. Lobov had previously claimed he was the one who originally conceived the whiskey idea.
Conor McGregor has reached a financial settlement with longtime teammate Artem Lobov, resolving a legal dispute over Lobov's claimed contributions to the creation of the Proper Twelve Irish whiskey brand, it was confirmed on April 16, 2026.
Lobov had filed a lawsuit against McGregor alleging he played a foundational role in conceiving and developing Proper Twelve, which McGregor later sold for a reported sum in excess of $100 million. Neither party disclosed the terms of the settlement, though the resolution brings a formal close to what had become a publicly contentious dispute between two fighters who share the same gym and long-standing personal history.
McGregor, 37, is one of the most recognizable combat sports figures in the world. The Dublin-born fighter carries a professional MMA record of 22-6-0 and built much of his fame competing as a featherweight and lightweight under the SBG Ireland banner. In his prime, he averaged 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute with a 49 percent striking accuracy, figures that ranked among the most efficient in the sport.
Lobov, 39, also a product of SBG Ireland and a fellow Irish-based southpaw, holds a professional record of 13-15-1. Known as The Russian Hammer, the 175-centimeter fighter averaged 3.52 significant strikes landed per minute across his career and built a reputation as a durable, pressure-oriented competitor. He has publicly maintained that the original whiskey concept was his idea before McGregor developed it into a commercial enterprise.
Why it matters
- The settlement closes a legal chapter that put two longtime training partners and allies on opposing sides of a courtroom dispute
- McGregor's reported $100 million-plus payout from the Proper Twelve sale underscored how significantly his business ventures outgrew his fighting career in financial scale
- The outcome, and its undisclosed terms, leaves open questions about how contribution to brand creation is valued in athlete-driven business ventures
