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Sunday World
18-05-2025
- Sunday World
McGregor whiskey trial deferred after former friend comes across new information
Millions of euro are at stake in high-profile trial over Proper No Twelve The trial of a multi-million euro lawsuit taken against Conor McGregor by his former friend and sparring partner Artem Lobov over the creation of a whiskey brand will not now go ahead next week. An eight-day High Court case was due to get under way on Tuesday. But that date was vacated yesterday by Mr Justice Brian Cregan after lawyers for Mr Lobov said their client wished to amend his pleadings. The eleventh-hour intervention came after Mr Lobov came across new information and wished to change the date he believed an alleged oral agreement with Mr McGregor had been discussed. While Mr Lobov's side wished to go ahead with the trial as scheduled, following an objection from lawyers for Mr McGregor, they consented to the trial date being vacated. The court will now hear an application to change details in the plenary summons and statement of claim next Wednesday. It is unclear when the trial might now take place. Millions of euro are at stake in the case, which was set to be heard just six months after another high-profile civil action involving Mr McGregor. Dublin hair stylist Nikita Hand was awarded close to €250,000 in damages last November after her successful civil rape case against the former UFC champion. Mr McGregor is appealing the outcome and is seeking a retrial. Mr Lobov (38), a mixed martial arts fighter known as 'The Russian Hammer', claims to have been the initial creator and co-founder of the whiskey that became Proper No Twelve. He alleges Mr McGregor (36) reneged on an oral agreement to pay him 5pc of proceeds from the sale of the whiskey brand. The claims are disputed by Mr McGregor. In legal filings, Mr Lobov said he accepted the alleged offer made by Mr McGregor while they were in a gym in Dublin in September 2017, and that there were three others present when this occurred. But his counsel Andrew Walker SC told the court yesterday that his client had discovered an old phone 'which gave him further clarity on the date' and Mr Lobov now said the oral agreement was reached within a six-day period in October 2017. Mr Walker sought leave to bring a motion for the amendment of the pleadings, to change the date of the alleged agreement. Were the court to side with Mr Lobov, Mr McGregor could be ordered to pay him close to €6m Shelley Horan BL, for McGregor, said if the application was made, her side would not be in a position to go ahead with the trial on Tuesday. 'We have a number of witnesses lined up to meet a particular type of case, which would change if the amendment is granted,' she said. Ms Horan also said her side's discovery requests had extended only to the end of September 2017. Mr Walker said the amendment would not change things because there was no memo of the agreement. However, Mr Justice Cregan said he was 'not impressed'. 'It is quite clear the defendant is prejudiced by this application. Whether it is successful or not successful, your witness is now going to give evidence about a completely different date and the defendant needs time to prepare its defence for that date,' the judge said. Mr McGregor is reputed to have been paid $130m (€116.1m) when he and two other shareholders subsequently sold their stakes in the whiskey to Proximo Spirits, owners of Jose Cuervo tequila, for a reported $600m in 2021. Were the court to side with Mr Lobov, Mr McGregor could be ordered to pay him close to €6m. Mr Lobov claims he suggested in late 2016 that Mr McGregor develop a whiskey Russian-born Mr Lobov, a retired professional fighter with a master's degree from DCU in finance and capital markets, claims he came up with the whiskey brand idea after studying the liquor market in university. He alleges that in a gym, Mr McGregor orally agreed that he would receive 5pc of the proceeds of the whiskey. Mr McGregor later offered to pay him $1m for what he claims was Mr Lobov's 'limited involvement in prior events', but denies any such agreement existed. Mr Lobov refused to take the money. In the proceedings, Mr Lobov claims he suggested in late 2016 that Mr McGregor develop a whiskey and that he was authorised by him to investigate potential deals. Artem Lobov and Conor McGregor News in 90 Seconds - May 18th This, Mr Lobov says, culminated in him identifying West Cork Distillers and Malones Whiskey as potential partners in a deal that would have seen Mr McGregor retain 100pc ownership of the brand and a company incorporated to sell the whiskey, with profits split on a 50-50 basis with the distillers. However, Mr McGregor instead incorporated a company called Éire Born Ventures with sports agent Audie Attar and businessman Ken Austin, which entered a joint venture with Proximo Spirits. At a previous pre-trial hearing, Liam Bell BL, for Mr Lobov, told the court his client's case was that he was, in essence, 'muscled out by the parties and wasn't paid what he was due'. Mr Lobov is suing for the specific performance of the alleged agreement or damages; that is, he wants the court to order Mr McGregor to pay him 5pc of the sale proceeds received by the former UFC champion or to pay damages for breach of agreement, misrepresentation and breach of his economic interests.
Irish Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
No mention of Conor McGregor as new owners release new edition of whiskey
The new owners of Conor McGregor's whiskey have brought out a new version of the liquor with no mention of his name. Proximo Spirits launched a new limited edition 13-year-old premier version of the whiskey across America last week for 60 bucks a bottle while the shamed fighter and his ex-sparring partner Artem Lobov were fighting it out over the No Twelve whiskey in the High Court. A source said: "There was no mention of Conor's name at the launch - it was as if he never existed." Whiskey expert Lobov claims the idea of a McGregor whiskey was originally his and Conor promised him a five per cent share in the brand for all the years he worked on the project. McGregor offered him a million quid to settle a few years ago but he turned it down. But now sources say both were shocked when the new 13-year-old version of the whiskey was launched last week with no mention of McGregor - another idea Lobov says was his. It is understood the original idea of number 13 was to commemorate the 13 seconds that it took McGregor to knock out Jose Aldo at UFC 194 on December 12, 2015. The No Twelve idea came from the post code in which he grew up in Crumlin, Dublin. However Proximo, which paid $600 million for McGregor's whiskey, made it clear at the launch of the single malt whiskey that the product had nothing to do with Conor McGregor any more and was a "new era" for the business. He was dropped as the brand ambassador by Proximo last November after he was found liable for sexual assault in the civil action taken against him by Nikita Hand and ordered to pay €250,000 in damages. The fighter is currently appealing that decision. There is no use of his name, face or likeness in relation to Proper No Twelve any more and the same applies to the new 13-year-old bottle. Lander Otegui, executive vice-president of marketing for Proximo Spirits said it represented a new era for the brand. He said: "This 13-year-old Single Malt is a more refined expression that still holds true to our roots - bold, accessible and built for those who appreciate character. "It's a celebration of the exciting future ahead as we continue to expand the brand's Irish whiskey offerings and disruptive approach to the category." McGregor founded his whiskey in 2018 and it became an overnight commercial success story, becoming one of the most popular brands in the USA. He walked away with $130 million from the deal. It is believed he still holds shares in it. The new whiskey is distilled at Bushmill's, the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. The 13-year-old whiskey is now on sale in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Texas and Arizona. The High Court showdown between McGregor and Lobov has been postponed for a couple of weeks while changes are made to the original claim. It is understood private talks between the legal parties involved have so far failed to find a resolution to their dispute. McGregor and Lobov were best mates and used to travel the world together before they fell out. A source close to the case said: "We are all hoping they will sort this row out and make up. The Americans couldn't care less about either of them."
Sunday World
16-05-2025
- Sunday World
Conor McGregor whiskey case not going ahead after ‘fundamental' change
The case by Russian Artem Lobov, claiming he had an oral agreement for a 5pc share made with Mr McGregor in a gym in September 2017, was due to begin next Tuesday The High Court hearing of a dispute over a claim by a former sparring partner of Conor McGregor for a share in a whiskey brand founded by the MMA fighter is not going ahead as planned next week after the case was "fundamentally changed" to what was originally pleaded. The case by Russian Artem Lobov, claiming he had an oral agreement for a 5pc share made with Mr McGregor in a gym in September 2017, was due to begin next Tuesday with eight days set aside for the hearing. The case concerns Mr Lobov's claim for a share in creating the idea for and working on setting up the "Proper Number Twelve" Irish whiskey brand. It was sold in 2021 to Proximo Spirits for a reported sum of up to US$600m and Mr McGregor was reported to have received US€130m from the sale. Artem Lobov celebrates a UFC win with Conor McGregor in 2016. Photo: Brandon Magnus — © Zuffa LLC via Getty Images News in 90 Seconds - May 16th Proximo cut ties with Mr McGregor and the brand following last year's separate High Court action in which a civil jury found he should pay almost €250,000 for raping a woman, Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. That decision is being appealed. On Thursday, a judge said he was reluctantly going to allow the case to proceed next week after he expressed concerns about whether or not it was ready. The court heard Mr Lobov's side was late in lodging pre-trial legal submissions. This meant Mr McGregor's side was unable to have its submissions in before the case was due to begin. On Friday, Mr Justice Brian Cregan was told Mr Lobov's submissions had been received after Thursday's court hearing and they contained a proposal that the date of the alleged oral agreement was not as first claimed to be, in September 2017, but October 2017. Shelley Horan BL, for Mr McGregor, said her side had prepared the case on the basis that it was a September date that the alleged oral agreement was made and they had interviewed four people who were supposed to present when it occurred in a gym. As a result, it had significant implications for the case, which counsel had described as being primarily evidence based. Her side was prejudiced by this amendment to the case and would now need time to prepare for what would be a new claim. Ms Horan also said no specific date had been given for the September claim which had created challenges for the defendant in preparing the case. The defence denied there was any oral agreement. Andrew Walker SC, for Mr Lobov, accepted what had happened was wholly unacceptable but he was seeking leave to bring a motion to amend the case next week with an affidavit setting out the rationale as to why this had happened. Asked by Mr Justice Cregan why, when the court set the hearing date for next Tuesday , that the fact the case had "changed fundamentally" had not been brought to the judge's attention, Mr Walker said he would like to have that put on affidavit. The new date is a month later, not months later or a different year, he said. New information was discovered by Mr Lobov on an old phone which gave him clarity about the date, he said. After the case was put back to later in the morning for Mr Walker to get instructions, counsel said he was agreeing to an adjournment of next week's hearing. The judge vacated the hearing date but said he would hear Mr Walker's application next week to amend the statement of claim to put in the new October date.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
McGregor whiskey case not going ahead after 'fundamental' change to original plea
The High Court hearing of a dispute over a claim by a former sparring partner of Conor McGregor for a share in a whiskey brand founded by the MMA fighter is not going ahead as planned next week after the case was "fundamentally changed" to what was originally pleaded. The case by Russian Artem Lobov, claiming he had an oral agreement for a 5% share made with Mr McGregor in a gym in September 2017, was due to begin next Tuesday, with eight days set aside for the hearing. The case concerns Mr Lobov's claim for a share in creating the idea for and working on setting up the Proper No Twelve Irish whiskey brand. It was sold in 2021 to Proximo Spirits for a reported sum of up to US$600m and Mr McGregor was reported to have received US€130m from the sale. Proximo cut ties with Mr McGregor and the brand following last year's separate High Court action in which a civil jury found he should pay almost €250,000 for assaulting a woman, Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. That decision is being appealed. On Thursday, a judge said he was reluctantly going to allow the case to proceed next week after he expressed concerns about whether or not it was ready. The court heard Mr Lobov's side was late in lodging pre-trial legal submissions. This meant Mr McGregor's side was unable to have its submissions in before the case was due to begin. On Friday, Mr Justice Brian Cregan was told Mr Lobov's submissions had been received after Thursday's court hearing and they contained a proposal that the date of the alleged oral agreement was not as first claimed to be, in September 2017, but October 2017. Shelley Horan BL, for Mr McGregor, said her side had prepared the case on the basis it was a September date that the alleged oral agreement was made and they had interviewed four people who were supposed to be present when it occurred in a gym. As a result, it had significant implications for the case, which counsel had described as being primarily evidence-based. Her side was prejudiced by this amendment to the case and would now need time to prepare for what would be a new claim. Ms Horan also said no specific date had been given for the September claim, which had created challenges for the defendant in preparing the case. The defence denied there was any oral agreement. Andrew Walker SC, for Mr Lobov, accepted what had happened was wholly unacceptable but he was seeking leave to bring a motion to amend the case next week with an affidavit setting out the rationale as to why this had happened. Asked by Mr Justice Cregan why, when the court set the hearing date for next Tuesday, the fact the case had "changed fundamentally" had not been brought to the judge's attention, Mr Walker said he would like to have that put on affidavit. The new date is a month later, not months later or a different year, he said. New information was discovered by Mr Lobov on an old phone which gave him clarity about the date, he said. After the case was put back to later in the morning for Mr Walker to get instructions, counsel said he was agreeing to an adjournment of next week's hearing. The judge vacated the hearing date but said he would hear Mr Walker's application next week to amend the statement of claim to put in the new October date. Read More Judge reluctantly allows McGregor whiskey brand dispute to go ahead next week
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Judge reluctantly allows McGregor whiskey brand dispute to go ahead next week
A judge has said he is reluctantly allowing a High Court hearing to go ahead next week of a dispute over a claim by a man for a percentage share in a whiskey brand founded by Conor McGregor. Artem Lobov, a former sparring partner of Mr McGregor, is suing the MMA fighter for what Mr Lobov says was an oral agreement in 2017 that he would get a 5% share in creating the brand, which he says he came up with the idea for. The Proper Number Twelve Irish whiskey brand was sold in 2021 to Proximo Spirits for a reported sum of up to $600m and Mr McGregor was reported to have received €130m from the sale. Proximo cut ties with Mr McGregor and the brand following last year's separate High Court action in which a civil jury found he should pay almost €250,000 for raping a woman, Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. That decision is being appealed. Mr McGregor denies Mr Lobov's claims there was any agreement for him to have a share in the brand. On Thursday, the case came before Mr Justice David Nolan for mention to see if it was ready to proceed next Tuesday. Eight days have been set aside for the hearing. After hearing there had been a delay by the Lobov side in lodging pre-hearing legal submissions to the court, which resulted in the defendant not being able to reply to them, the judge said he was concerned the case was not ready to go ahead next week. Liam Bell BL, instructed by Dermot McNamara & Co Solicitors, for Mr Lobov, said his side would have its submissions in by close of business on Thursday. He said the delay was due to his lawyers having to get further instructions for the case. Shelley Horan BL, instructed by Michael Staines & Co Solicitors, for Mr McGregor, said the Lobov side submissions were due to be in at the end of February but had not arrived. However, she had agreed with Mr Bell the defendant's submissions could be put in at the end of the case, as this was a matter that would be determined on the basis of evidence to the court. Mr Justice Nolan said, however, that whatever judge hears the case, he or she will need to have the legal submissions of both sides beforehand. Ms Horan said the Lobov side had been "in dereliction" and her side had been chasing them for their submissions. However, this a 'net issue' case in which the plaintiff seeks specific performance of an oral agreement, which is denied, she said. Her side did not think the judge who hears the case would be prejudiced by not having the submissions, she said. This was an unfortunate situation not of the defendant's making but they were anxious to get on with the case, she said. The judge said he did not think the case was ready to go ahead but it was with "great reluctance" he would allow it to proceed next week. He also said the delay in having submissions in on time would have to be dealt with when the judge who hears the case is dealing with who pays the costs. Mr Lobov, who was born in Russia and lives in Mulhuddart, Dublin, claims he came up with the idea that Mr McGregor lend his name to a new whiskey brand. He also says he did all the research and negotiations to get Cork-based distillery firms to agree to produce the whiskey before the project was taken over by Mr McGregor's manager and chief executive of Paradigm Sports Management, Audi Attar, along with American entrepreneur Ken Austin. He claims he was effectively "muscled out" and Mr McGregor acknowledged his involvement when he made Mr Lobov an offer of US$1m, but which he refused. Mr McGregor strongly denies the claims. Read More Conor McGregor to face former sparring partner in court next month over whiskey brand deal
