According to a report in the Irish Independent, a former friend and training partner of Conor McGregor, Artem Lobov, is suing the MMA superstar.
Lobov alleges he was instrumental in creating and developing the global brand ‘Proper No. Twelve’. McGregor allegedly then cut him out of the deal. He is now seeking five percent of the proceeds made from the sale of the brand back in 2021.
The court action was filed on Tuesday, but Lobov has actually previously made a similar claim. During an interview with MMA Focus, he suggested the drink was his creation and that he turned down $1 million from McGregor. It seems that the pair could not come to an agreement since then, prompting Lobov to commence legal action in the High Court of Ireland.
Lobov’s solicitor Dermot McNamara, told the Irish Independent: “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. As these matters are now before the court, we will not be making any further comment.”
Conor McGregor: Proper Money
McGregor sold his majority interest in Proper No. Twelve in 2021 to Proximo Spirits. The deal is worth up to $600 million. His manager, Audie Attar of Paradigm Sports, and investor Ken Austin were also involved. Proximo previously owned 49% of the brand but is now majority shareholders. The deal saw McGregor, Attar, and Austin retain an interest in the brand, with McGregor continuing to take an active role in its promotion.
A spokesperson representing McGregor said: “Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey was created, developed, branded and tirelessly promoted by Conor McGregor.“
Lobov is now retired from combat sports. He finished his MMA career with a 13-15-1 (1 NC) record. In bare-knuckle boxing, he earned a 2-2 record. He defeated Jason Knight and longtime McGregor rival Paulie Malignaggi in his first two outings. Lobov then lost a rematch to Knight. His final bout was a TKO loss to Ukrainian Olympic boxer Denys Berinchyk. Lobov was a fan favourite for his all-action style.
McGregor is currently plotting his comeback to MMA. His long layoff has been enforced by the injury suffered in his defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He is currently outside of the USADA testing pool, which means he will be required to submit to six months of testing before he is permitted to compete again.
Who do you want to see McGregor face upon his return to the Octagon?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
