The legendary UFC 229 showdown between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov might never have happened without Artem Lobov. His behind-the-scenes role not only helped ignite one of MMA’s most bitter rivalries but also delivered Dana White & Co. a storm of chaos—and a windfall of cash. Though Lobov’s fight résumé was modest, his influence on UFC history is hard to overstate.

The chain of events began during UFC 223 fight week, when Khabib Nurmagomedov confronted and slapped Artem Lobov in a hotel hallway. That moment lit a fire under McGregor, who flew to New York, stormed the Barclays Center during media day, and attacked a bus full of fighters in a now-infamous scene. After stepping away from the sport for several years, Lobov is now preparing for a comeback.

Under the PFL banner, he’s set to face Khabib’s teammate, Zubaira Tukhugov, in a catchweight bout scheduled for October in Dubai.

Artem Lobov details the bitter end of his bond with Conor McGregor

By 2021, the once “brother-like” bond between Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov had soured. That year, Lobov filed a lawsuit against McGregor over the sale of Proper No. Twelve whiskey to Proximo Spirits, a deal reportedly worth over $600 million. Lobov alleged that he was owed a 5% stake in the business — one he claimed to have helped create from the ground up. In the lead-up to his return, Lobov appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he addressed the fallout with McGregor in candid detail.

When asked about the collapse of their friendship, Lobov shared just how much loyalty he had shown over the years: “The agreement has always been that if I help him with business, if I help him make money, then he’s going to give me my cut. And in the past, when I’ve done deals for him… And for this deal — this whiskey deal — it was such a massive deal for me.”

Reflecting on what went wrong, Artem Lobov placed partial blame on Conor McGregor’s management team: “It’s unfortunate this situation happened between me and Conor. My opinion is that his manager had something to do with it.” He went on to explain that he had opposed a proposed option clause early in the whiskey deal — one that he believed would have limited McGregor’s profits if the business succeeded: “They were trying to get Conor to sign this option. As we all know, Conor owns the whiskey now. I was very much against the option, because what it means is that if the whiskey fails, Conor gets nothing.”

With the case now bound for an Irish courtroom, Artem Lobov is pursuing legal justice. For the former UFC star, the proceedings may finally expose “who was the true, loyal friend and who was actually a snake.” Although he was ultimately cut out of the final sale — worth over $20 million — Lobov insists he once received a personal assurance from McGregor: “ He promised me five percent—no matter what.”

But Lobov claims Conor McGregor never honored that promise.

Conor McGregor strengthens bid to launch Irish presidential campaign

Conor McGregor has had a complicated relationship with the Irish authorities for a long time, but now, the former UFC champion is aiming for a high position in the nation’s government. McGregor is preparing to run in the 2025 Irish presidential election — an ambition he began actively pursuing back in 2023. With a win, he hopes to become Ireland’s 10th president. But as he moves into the political arena, controversy continues to trail him. ‘The Notorious’ remains a polarizing figure, drawing criticism on social media for both his past and present behavior.

However, before Conor McGregor can appear on the ballot, he must overcome one major hurdle. Under Irish law, a candidate must secure the nomination of at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities to qualify. For McGregor, that requirement could be a stumbling block. Addressing the issue on social media, McGregor wrote, “McGregor is alleging that this ‘presents a significant barrier to democratic participation.’”

He claimed: “This system, while intended to ensure a degree of political influence among candidates, inadvertently restricts the direct voice of the Irish electorate. In light of this, I propose a petition advocating for a modification of the nomination process to allow my name be included on the ballot.” In the same post, Conor McGregor emphasized that the people of Ireland should have the “unhindered right to determine the candidates who appear on the presidential ballot.”

With the Irish presidential election now just months away, the question remains — can Conor McGregor overcome this political hurdle? And more importantly, does the UFC star have what it takes to turn his bold ambition into a historic victory?