Conor McGregor has paid compensation to Artem Lobov, who had demanded payment for his help in creating Proper Twelve whiskey. Lobov had previously filed a lawsuit over the matter. Media reports indicated McGregor earned over $100 million from selling his shares in the whiskey brand. Both Lobov and McGregor have declined to disclose the amount of compensation paid. Lobov had previously claimed he was the one who came up with the entire concept for the whiskey venture.
Conor McGregor has paid financial compensation to fellow SBG Ireland teammate Artem Lobov following a legal dispute over the origins of the Proper Twelve Irish whiskey brand, with the settlement announced in April 2026.
Lobov, 39, had filed a lawsuit against McGregor claiming he was the originating force behind the Proper Twelve concept and deserved a share of the resulting profits. Reports indicated McGregor earned in excess of $100 million from the eventual sale of his stake in the brand. Neither fighter has disclosed the amount of the settlement, and the matter has now been resolved outside of court.
McGregor, 37, is one of combat sports' most recognizable names. The Dubliner carries a professional MMA record of 22-6-0 and built his reputation as a ferocious striker, averaging 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute at a 49 percent accuracy rate across his career. His commercial ventures, most notably Proper Twelve, transformed him into a business figure whose earnings extended well beyond the octagon.
Lobov, also based in Ireland and a longtime SBG Ireland training partner, holds a professional record of 13-15-1. The Russian-born fighter, known as "The Russian Hammer," averaged 3.52 significant strikes landed per minute during his career and fought primarily at featherweight. He maintained throughout the legal process that the whiskey concept originated with him and that his contribution went uncompensated following the brand's lucrative sale.
Why it matters
- The settlement closes a high-profile legal dispute between two long-standing teammates and training partners
- Lobov's claim centered on creative and conceptual contributions rather than athletic ones, raising questions about informal business arrangements between fighters
- McGregor's Proper Twelve windfall remains one of the largest non-fighting paydays in MMA history, making the terms of the settlement a subject of continued speculation despite both parties staying silent
