Artem Lobov and Conor McGregor have settled a High Court dispute in Dublin over a whiskey brand, ending a multi-million euro case tied to an alleged oral agreement and a claimed 5 per cent share in Proper No Twelve. The resolution was announced in court on Wednesday shortly before lunchtime ET, with both sides confirming the matter had been resolved. The settlement drew a close to a trial that had been scheduled to run for eight days.
What the court was told
The case centered on Lobov’s claim that McGregor failed to honor a 2017 oral commitment over ownership in the McGregor-founded whiskey brand. Lobov, a Russian-born former sparring partner of McGregor, said he was involved in the creation of the brand and was entitled to the share he says was promised. McGregor denied there was any agreement.
In court, barrister Andrew Walker, appearing for Lobov and instructed by Dermot McNamara solicitors, told Judge John Jordan that the matter had resolved. Mark Lynam, barrister for McGregor and instructed by Mulholland Law, then read a statement on behalf of his client as part of the settlement agreement.
McGregor’s statement and Lobov’s response
In the statement, McGregor said he was happy the matter was resolved and could now focus on his training in advance of an upcoming fight this summer. He also thanked Lobov “for his hard work for my whiskey business, ” Lynam said in court. The judge complimented the parties on reaching an agreement, describing the dispute as “ultimately a matter of negotiation. ”
As he left court, Lobov said he was happy with the resolution to the case. The settlement closes one of the more closely watched business disputes linked to McGregor’s whiskey brand, a case that had moved toward a full trial before the agreement was reached.
Why the dispute mattered
Proper No Twelve was sold in 2021 to drinks giant Proximo Spirits for an estimated $600 million, or €530 million. McGregor was reported to have received $130 million from that sale. The brand has also been in the spotlight since Proximo cut ties with McGregor after a High Court jury found that he assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
That broader background gave the Artem Lobov dispute added weight, because the claim went to the question of who helped create the brand and who was entitled to benefit from its success. With the court case now settled, the immediate legal battle is over, but the financial and reputational significance of the Artem Lobov claim remains clear.
What happens next
No further court hearing was announced after the settlement, and the case is no longer set to run for eight days as originally planned. For McGregor, the agreement removes one more legal distraction as he turns back to training for a fight this summer. For Lobov, the court exit was framed simply as a resolved dispute, closing a long-running chapter in the Artem Lobov and McGregor business fight.
