Artem Lobov, once a trusted teammate of Conor McGregor, recently opened up about their broken bond. Speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on August 5, 2025, Lobov expressed sadness over their strained relationship, which crumbled after a legal battle over Proper 12 whiskey. The former teammates, who trained together for years, now stand apart, with Lobov recalling his deep commitment to McGregor.
A Friendship in Ruins
Lobov opened up about their strained relationship.
“Obviously, things are not good between me and Conor,” Lobov explained.
He emphasized his steadfast support, claiming it was unmatched.
“We always had each other’s back. I feel like I showed him unmatched loyalty, I would dare for him to name anyone from all of his mates now, before whenever, who was more loyal to him than I was.”
He detailed his sacrifices during McGregor’s training camps.
“I did everything for him,” Lobov continued. “Whenever we would do camps, I was the only one to never accept a cent from him. There would always be money paid to everybody in the camps, and rightfully so, because it was hard work. But I’d always turn it down and say ‘Conor, I’m not taking this, and I’m not taking money from you’”
Artem Lobov shares his perspective on his fallout with Conor McGregor:
“Obviously, things are not good between me and Conor. As you said, we always had each other’s back. I feel like I showed him unmatched loyalty. I would dare for him to name anyone from all of his mates now,… pic.twitter.com/mLrCy7H5ct
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 5, 2025
Their rift began in 2022 when Lobov sued McGregor, claiming he deserved a share of the $600 million sale of Proper 12 whiskey to Proximo Spirits in 2021. Lobov said he helped build the brand but was left out of the profits. McGregor rejected the claims, publicly calling Lobov a “rat” on social media. The lawsuit settled privately in November 2023, but their friendship was beyond repair.
Lobov and McGregor trained together at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin under coach John Kavanagh. Lobov was a key partner for McGregor’s major fights, including his 2015 knockout of Jose Aldo to win the featherweight title and his 2016 win over Eddie Alvarez to claim the lightweight belt at UFC 205. Their bond faced strain in April 2018 when Khabib Nurmagomedov confronted Lobov at a New York hotel, reportedly slapping him over trash talk. McGregor’s retaliation—attacking a bus carrying Nurmagomedov at UFC 223’s media day—led to his arrest and a guilty plea to disorderly conduct.
Lobov, now 39, is set to face Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate Zubaira Tukhugov at a PFL event in October 2025. After retiring from MMA in 2021, he competed in bare-knuckle boxing before joining PFL. McGregor, 36, has been sidelined since a leg injury in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 and plans a UFC return in 2026. In a July 2025 interview, McGregor sidestepped questions about Lobov, focusing on his comeback.
