TLDR
- Artem Lobov accused Conor McGregor of sending people to threaten his 60-year-old mother with a hammer
- The former best friends had a falling out over Lobov’s claim he deserved payment for the Proper 12 whiskey idea
- Lobov sued McGregor and settled for millions, but says their relationship turned hostile
- McGregor challenged Lobov to a gym fight that never happened according to Lobov
- Other people who have taken legal action against McGregor have also reported intimidation tactics
Sources: mmamania.com | mmafighting.com
Artem Lobov has accused his former best friend Conor McGregor of sending people to threaten his mother with a hammer. The claim marks the latest development in an increasingly bitter feud between the two fighters.
Lobov and McGregor were once inseparable. Lobov was a regular fixture in McGregor’s training camps during his early UFC career, and McGregor even brought Lobov onto The Ultimate Fighter when he served as a coach.
The friendship fell apart after the McGregor-Mayweather boxing match in 2017. Lobov says he came up with the idea for McGregor to start a whiskey company and brought him a complete business plan for what would become Proper 12 whiskey.
Conor McGregor reveals he’ll announce a move to bare knuckle after his next UFC fight 👀
“I’m gonna lay down my gloves in that octagon for my final UFC contract, but not to retire, to announce bare knuckle.” pic.twitter.com/HTc82r7xoZ
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) November 4, 2026
The Lawsuit and Settlement
Lobov later sued McGregor, claiming he was promised a 5% stake in the billion-dollar whiskey business. The two eventually settled the lawsuit for an amount reported to be in the millions of dollars.
But the legal settlement did not end their conflict. Lobov posted on X (formerly Twitter) about how much their relationship has changed over the years.
“We were brothers and had each others backs no matter what,” Lobov wrote. “That Conor is no longer here unfortunately. He was a real man with unmatched skillset in the octagon and a heart of a lion, now he is just a lying junkie. In my opinion of course.”
After Lobov filed his lawsuit, McGregor publicly called for a gym fight to settle their dispute. Lobov says McGregor never showed up at their old training facility, Straight Blast Gym.
“I was at [Straight Blast Gym] every Tuesday and Thursday all these years, didnt see him anywhere,” Lobov wrote. “He went on X, sent people to burn my car and threaten my 60 year old mother with a hammer, but never had the balls to call my number directly.”
Pattern of Intimidation Claims
Lobov is not the first person to accuse McGregor of sending people to intimidate those who have taken legal action against him. A woman who accused McGregor of assault on his yacht had her car firebombed, and she later dropped her case.
Nikita Hand, who filed civil charges claiming McGregor raped her, had her home invaded and her partner stabbed. A civil court found McGregor guilty of assault in that case, but the judge would not allow the home invasion to be mentioned as evidence because no direct connection to McGregor was proven.
Lobov added his own legal protection to his accusations. He ended his series of tweets with the word “Allegedly.”
Meanwhile, McGregor continues to focus on his comeback plans. He is recovering from ACL surgery and has targeted International Fight Week 2027 for his return to the octagon.
McGregor recently posted on social media about his star power and drawing ability. He claims he outdoes all other combat sports stars in pay-per-view sales and attendance numbers.
“I’m going to actually try to sell the fight for my next one,” McGregor wrote. “My final fight. See what numbers I can generate. Keep outdoing my own records.”
McGregor’s next fight is expected to be the last one on his current UFC contract. He holds the record for UFC pay-per-view sales with his 2018 fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
