Conor McGregor Demanded a Gym Fight, but Artem Lobov Claims He Never Showed Up

After Artem Lobov initiated a lawsuit over their whiskey venture, Conor McGregor demanded a gym fight to settle the feud, but Lobov claims McGregor never actually appeared.

The public challenge seemed designed to resolve one of mixed martial arts' bitterest falling-outs inside the cage.

Yet according to Lobov, the proposed dust-up at Straight Blast Gym never materialized.

Lobov addressed the matter on social media after fans accused him of dodging the former two-division champion.

He insisted that he remained a fixture at the Dublin facility throughout the entire ordeal.

"I was at SBG every Tuesday and Thursday all these years, didn’t see him anywhere," Lobov wrote.

He claimed that McGregor chose social media posturing over a genuine face-to-face confrontation.

Lobov also mocked the timing of McGregor's public challenges.

"I am the godfather of always showing up, taught Conor how to be a real fighter," Lobov stated.

"But he calls me out at 4 a.m. haha thats ‘junkie o’clock,‘ I was asleep with my kids," Lobov added.

He then added the disclaimer: "Allegedly, of course."

A SHATTERED BROTHERHOOD AT SBG

The hostility between the two men marks a stunning reversal of a historic bond.

For nearly a decade, Lobov and McGregor were seen as inseparable brothers in arms.

Lobov served as McGregor's primary sparring partner during his meteoric rise across the UFC featherweight and lightweight divisions.

When McGregor took on coaching duties on The Ultimate Fighter, he immediately used his platform to draft Lobov onto the reality show.

Lobov was always present in McGregor's corner during his historic title victories.

The loyalty was so deep that Lobov once put himself directly in the line of fire for McGregor.

In 2018, Lobov had a famous confrontation with Khabib Nurmagomedov in a hotel hallway in Brooklyn, New York.

That incident occurred because Lobov defended McGregor's name and reputation against public criticism.

McGregor responded to that altercation by flying across the Atlantic to confront Nurmagomedov, culminating in the infamous bus attack.

Lobov recently recalled that era of total mutual dedication on social media.

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

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

THE WHISKEY VENTURE THAT BROKE THE BOND

The unbreakable bond began to fracture following McGregor's historic 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Lobov revealed that he was the person who initially presented the concept of an Irish whiskey brand to McGregor.

According to Lobov, he brought a fully formed, ready-made business plan directly to "The Notorious."

That enterprise became Proper No.

Twelve, which went on to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in global sales.

Lobov alleged that McGregor promised him a five percent stake in the massive business.

When that payout did not arrive, Lobov filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against his former training partner.

The legal battle proved intensely personal and played out in Irish courts and across social media platforms.

Earlier this year, the two former friends finally reached a settlement in their legal battle.

The settlement was reported to be worth millions of dollars.

Yet financial closure did nothing to heal the profound animosity between them.

Instead, the dispute transformed into open hostility and explosive public allegations.

NEW ACCUSATIONS OF INTIMIDATION

Lobov has now escalated the feud by leveling severe, unverified accusations against McGregor.

He claimed that McGregor orchestrated violent intimidation tactics against him and his family.

Specifically, Lobov alleged that individuals were sent to set his personal vehicle on fire.

Even more dramatically, he claimed that armed men were dispatched to threaten his 60-year-old mother.

"He went on X, sent people to burn my car and threaten my 60-year-old mother with a hammer, but never had the balls to call my number directly," Lobov wrote.

These severe claims have not been independently verified.

They represent a dark and alarming turn in what was once a sporting dispute.

Lobov pointed to other legal controversies surrounding McGregor to argue that intimidation has become a recurring pattern.

A woman who accused McGregor of assaulting her on his yacht previously had her car firebombed before ultimately dropping her case.

In another matter, Nikita Hand brought civil charges alleging McGregor raped her in Dublin.

During that period, Hand's home was invaded and her partner was stabbed.

A civil court ultimately found McGregor liable for assault in Hand's case.

However, the presiding judge barred the home invasion from being presented as evidence because no proof linked McGregor to the crime.

Lobov nonetheless insisted that the superstar relies on intimidation rather than handling grievances directly.

BROKEN PROMISES TO SBG TEAMMATES

Lobov did not limit his grievances to his own personal and financial disputes.

He accused McGregor of shortchanging nearly every core member of his original inner circle.

"He took care of nobody, he f**ked over his coach and all his best friends Lee, Derek, Gerry Vegas, Charlie, myself and others," Lobov alleged.

According to Lobov, McGregor entered handshake agreements on numerous commercial deals brought to him by teammates.

Yet once the money arrived, Lobov claimed McGregor routinely withheld the promised compensation.

Lobov cited long-time head coach John Kavanagh as a prominent example of broken financial commitments.

He highlighted McGregor's massive nine-figure payday from the 2017 Mayweather boxing spectacle.