Conor McGregor settles lawsuit over Proper No. 12 whiskey but can’t resist one last jibe
The UFC champion and drinks entrepreneur Conor McGregor has settled a dispute with fellow fighter Artem Lobov, who claims he was entitled to 5% of the sale price of whiskey brand Proper No. 12.
Mixed martial artists Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov might be used to fighting dirty inside the MMA cage, but the two were forced to settle a longstanding dispute through the courts this week.
The case was due to begin yesterday (16 April) in Dublin’s High Court and was scheduled to last eight days. However, Lobov’s attorney Andrew Walker told the judge that a settlement had been reached and a trial was no longer required.
McGregor, who was not present for the proceedings, released his own statement following the settlement, the sum of which has not been disclosed, saying:“I want to thank him for his hard work for my whiskey business.”
Those words are likely to sting as they cut right to the heart of the case.
What’s behind the dispute?
The disagreement centres around the Proper No. 12 whiskey brand, which McGregor launched in 2018 and sold in 2021 to Proximo Spirits, owner of Jose Cuervo Tequila. McGregor reportedly banked US$100 million of the $600m sale price, with the remaining cash going to the brand’s co-founder Audie Attar of Paradigm Sports Management (McGregor’s agent) and brand investor Ken Austin.
Following the sale to Proximo, Artem Lobov filed a lawsuit against McGregor in 2022, claiming he was entitled to 5% of the sale as Proper No. 12 had been “his idea”. He says there was a “verbal agreement” that Lobov would be recompensed should the business be sold. Speaking on behalf of Lobov at the time, his solicitor said: “My client is a retired professional fighter with a master’s degree from DCU in Finance and Capital Markets. We have issued High Court proceedings on his behalf to enforce an agreement with Mr McGregor regarding the Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand”.
McGregor’s legal team, however, denied the claim, insisting that “Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey was created, developed, branded and tirelessly promoted by Conor McGregor.”
Friends to enemies
Before the birth of the whiskey brand, McGregor and Lobov had been good friends and training partners, sharing the same MMA coach in Ireland and embarking on gruelling training camps together.
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Lobov claims that McGregor was initially approached in the gym by Icelandic actor and professional strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (known as Thor) about launching a vodka, and it was Lobov who turned McGregor onto the idea of releasing an Irish whiskey instead.
“I said to him before you even look any further, ‘here’s what I know about Irish whiskey’ and told him about my presentation from college. I told him about the dominance of Irish whiskey and all of that. He said, ‘you go off and see what deal you can put together’ and I went on my way,” recalled Lobov.
According to ‘The Russian Hammer’, McGregor offered him $1million at the time the deal was put together, but he turned the money down.
“I said, ‘we’ve always been friends and helped each other. I never paid you for my camps so I’m not gonna accept money from you…” Lobov said.
He maintains that McGregor promised him 5% of the business “no matter what”, but claims he was “muscled out” of the business after Proper No. 12 started to turn a profit.
Reaching a settlement
Yesterday’s court settlement marks the end of the Proper No. 12 chapter for McGregor, who has been tipped to make his big UFC comeback on 11 July in Las Vegas. McGregor has been out of action since breaking his leg during the first round of his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier five years ago.
Following the Proper No. 12 settlement, McGregor said: “I am satisfied that this matter has been resolved and I can focus on my training and this summer’s fight.”
While McGregor was not present for the settlement proceedings, the judge complimented both parties for reaching an agreement rather than taking up the court’s time over what was “ultimately a matter of negotiation” between the two men.
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