Conor McGregor is gearing up to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 but there is another battle that the Irishman may need to focus on! McGregor has been involved in a legal struggle against former friend and training partner, Artem Lobov. The two men were once very loyal to one another as ‘The Notorious’ decided to confront Khabib Nurmagomedov for slapping Lobov, leading to the UFC 223 incident where McGregor wreaked havoc by throwing a dolly at a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters.

However, McGregor’s hugely successful venture with the launch of the ‘Proper No. 12’ whiskey brand led to a rift between him and his friend, as Lobov took the legal route to demand his share of profits from the sale of the brand. And in a recent update, McGregor has been ordered by the court to disclose more details about his benefits from the sale!

Court orders Conor McGregor to make full disclosure of income in Artem Lobov case

Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov’s legal battle stems from the Irishman’s decision to sell his ‘Proper No. 12’ brand to Proximo Spirits in 2021 for a whopping $600 million. In November 2022, Lobov filed a suit against McGregor as he claimed that he was a key figure in the development of the whiskey brand and idea and, as such, was guaranteed a share of profits from the sale.

According to Lobov, there was an oral agreement made between him and the Irish MMA star for 5% of the profits. McGregor has vehemently contested the claim. He also revealed that he had offered Lobov $1 million for his role in starting the brand, but Lobov apparently rejected it.

Now, a recent update shared by The Irish Sun states that McGregor has been ordered to reveal how much money he personally received from the $600 million sale of the brand. This may lead to the Irishman having to face a setback of approximately $20 million. The court documents also indicate that Lobov has alleged that he was “muscled out” of the deal by McGregor’s team.

Lobov also claimed that the agreement between the two men for the 5% stake was made “orally” at a gym in Dublin sometime in 2017. McGregor has denied ever making the agreement and countered by stating that he always had the goal of owning his own whiskey brand before Lobov was involved in the process. 

As the legal proceedings unfold with McGregor and Lobov finding themselves on opposite sides of a courtroom, the latter is determined to secure what he perceives is his rightful share. Further, he has also shared alleged text exchanges between him and the Irishman as evidence of his claims!

Lobov shares alleged texts from McGregor on social media as ‘proof’

In 2023, Artem Lobov took to social media to share what he believes proves Conor McGregor reneged on his promise towards their whiskey deal. In a series of texts shared on X, one of the incoming messages stated, “This fight and this whiskey deal I am going to look after you! You are always there for me brother and I appreciate all your work…”

However, it’s interesting to note that while the messages expressed gratitude and optimism about the whiskey’s success, they did not provide any official guarantees and despite the shared messages, the impact on Lobov’s case remains uncertain.

Nevertheless, the recent court order has provided McGregor with one day to unveil his personal profits from the whiskey deal and as such, it remains to be seen if Lobov will be successful in his pursuit.