Artem Lobov Mourns Broken Bond With Conor McGregor After Defending His Honor Against Khabib

Artem Lobov stated that his original confrontation with Khabib Nurmagomedov stemmed from defending Conor McGregor's honor, lamenting that the loyal brother he once knew no longer exists.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor looked back on the foundation of their long-standing relationship with deep sorrow.

For years, Lobov stood as one of McGregor's most trusted confidants inside and outside the mixed martial arts cage.

Their bond went far beyond standard gym sparring partners.

Lobov was a constant presence in McGregor's training camps during the Irish superstar's historic ascent through the UFC ranks.

When McGregor coached on the reality series The Ultimate Fighter, he made sure to draft Lobov directly onto his team.

That unwavering loyalty once defined their relationship, according to the veteran fighter.

Yet, that brotherhood has now completely unraveled into bitter resentment, public insults, and legal battles.

A BROTHERHOOD LOST

Lobov reflected on the stark contrast between the man he once trained with and the figure McGregor has become today.

"We were brothers and had each others backs no matter what," Lobov wrote on social media platform X.

He recalled that their fiercest shared battles began out of deep personal loyalty.

"Trouble with Khabib was over me defending his honor and not allowing Khabib talk bad about my brother," Lobov stated.

That confrontation with Nurmagomedov became the spark for one of the most volatile rivalries in combat sports history.

Lobov had put his own safety on the line simply to stand up for McGregor's reputation.

However, looking at McGregor now, Lobov believes that person is completely gone.

"That Conor is no longer here unfortunately," Lobov added.

Lobov still holds memories of the fighter who captured two UFC world championships.

"He was a real man with unmatched skillset in the octagon and a heart of a lion, now he is just a lying junkie," Lobov declared.

Lobov then added: "In my opinion of course."

Despite the hostility, Lobov admitted that the emotional void of the broken relationship remains painful.

"I sure miss my old brother," Lobov confessed.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA SPARKS

The recent public flare-up between the former teammates erupted unexpectedly on Monday.

It began when Lobov replied to an online post discussing McGregor's eventual return to the UFC.

The post highlighted that McGregor's next scheduled fight would be the final bout on his current promotional contract.

Lobov publicly dismissed the importance of that contractual milestone.

Supporters of McGregor quickly stepped in to push back against Lobov's dismissive remarks.

That fan defense prompted Lobov to launch into an extensive series of personal and financial accusations against his former friend.

Lobov alleged that McGregor's relationships deteriorated primarily due to substance abuse and unpaid financial commitments.

He claimed the former two-division champion abandoned the people who helped him climb to international superstardom.

"He took care of nobody," Lobov wrote plainly.

UNMET FINANCIAL PROMISES

Lobov did not limit his grievances solely to his own personal disputes with McGregor.

He insisted that several key figures from McGregor's inner circle endured identical financial mistreatment over the years.

"He f***ed over his coach and all his best friends Lee, Derek, Gerry Vegas, Charlie myself and others," Lobov alleged.

Lobov explained how business was routinely conducted within the champion's camp.

"Shook hands on different deals that they brought in, money came in but he didn't pay what was promised," Lobov wrote.

Lobov pointed directly to McGregor's high-profile 2017 professional boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor reportedly earned around $100 million for that crossover mega-fight in Las Vegas.

Lobov questioned how much of that massive purse actually reached the man in McGregor's corner.

"He got $100M for Mayweather what did John get???"

Lobov questioned regarding head coach John Kavanagh.

"$100K if even, meant to be 5 percent but he never paid that for any of his fights," Lobov continued.

Lobov shared that he was deeply offended by how casually agreements were cast aside.

"I showed him unmatched loyalty, I don't say that lightly as a 40-year-old man," Lobov emphasized.

BROKEN TIES WITH CLOSE ALLIES

Lobov proceeded to name other longtime members of McGregor's camp who allegedly faced mistreatment.

He brought up Derek, a close associate and father of three children.

According to Lobov, McGregor fired Derek just weeks before Christmas over a minor disagreement.

"Over something Derek said that Conor didn't like," Lobov revealed.

Lobov also highlighted the treatment of Lee, the founder and director of McGregor's digital media outlet The Mac Life.

Lobov claimed McGregor paid Lee only 500 euros per week before taxes for multiple years of dedicated service.

He also cited another teammate, Gerry Vegas, who was promised payments surrounding a fight camp.

Lobov stated that McGregor agreed to pay Gerry 10,000 euros at the beginning of the camp and another 10,000 euros at the end.

However, Lobov claimed McGregor ultimately refused to hand over the second 10,000-euro installment.

"That's just a few examples," Lobov wrote to illustrate what he viewed as a consistent pattern of conduct.

THE PROPER NO. 12 FALLOUT

The root of the legal warfare between Lobov and McGregor traces directly back to the creation of Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey.

Lobov maintains that he originally conceptualized the whiskey venture for McGregor.

According to Lobov, he developed a complete, ready-made business plan and presented it directly to "The Notorious."

Lobov claimed he negotiated the whiskey deal himself before things unraveled behind the scenes.

"And he got Proper f***ed on his whiskey deal that I negotiated and his manager Audie stole from him and me," Lobov wrote.

Lobov later filed a major lawsuit against McGregor, asserting he was owed an agreed-upon 5 percent cut of the brand's billion-dollar valuation.

The bitter legal battle stretched through courts for months, fracturing any remaining trust between them.

The former friends eventually settled their legal dispute over the whiskey brand earlier this year.

The settlement reportedly compensated Lobov with an amount in the millions.

Even with the legal paperwork finalized, the personal resentment between the two fighters has not faded.

HAUNTING ALLEGATIONS OF INTIMIDATION

Beyond financial disputes, Lobov leveled alarming accusations regarding alleged intimidation tactics.

Lobov claimed that the hostility escalated into frightening threats aimed directly at his household.

He alleged that individuals attempted to set his personal vehicle on fire under McGregor's instigation.

Even more seriously, Lobov claimed that threats were made against his elderly family.

"He went on X, sent people to burn my car and threaten my 60-year-old mother with a hammer," Lobov stated.

Lobov criticized McGregor for avoiding direct, face-to-face communication.

"Never had the balls to call my number directly," Lobov claimed.