McGregor 'destroyed by drugs and alcohol,' close friend alleges in tell-all

Ex-UFC fighter Lobov alleges betrayal of coaches and friends

Whiskey business dispute escalates into lawsuit

Claims include family threats and vehicle arson

UFC star Conor McGregor gestures for the cameras at Charity Day 2025, hosted by the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund at BGC Group in New York in September last year. [Getty Images]

UFC superstar Conor McGregor has come under fierce attack from a former close friend, who claims drugs and alcohol have changed the Irish fighter beyond recognition and that he has betrayed the coaches and friends who once stood by him.

The accuser is Artem Lobov, a Russian fighter and former UFC competitor. On Tuesday, Lobov took to social media to criticize McGregor over financial disputes and personal conduct, laying out what he described as the collapse of their once-brotherly friendship.

"We used to get together as friends and talk about why he was doing this to us," Lobov said. "We came to the conclusion that alcohol and drug abuse brings out the worst in him." He added: "A sober Conor would never treat people he called brothers that way. He was my brother, and I loved him like a real brother."

Lobov also alleged that McGregor failed to honor financial commitments not only to him but to longtime coaches and teammates. He claimed that despite earning around $100 million from his 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr., McGregor never paid coach John Kavanagh the 5 percent of earnings he had promised. Lobov further alleged that McGregor fired a longtime friend just before Christmas and failed to pay other associates the compensation they had agreed upon.

Lobov also claimed his own family had been targeted with threats. He alleged that McGregor arranged for someone to set fire to his vehicle and to threaten his 60-year-old mother with a hammer.

Lobov is currently in an adversarial relationship with McGregor following a legal dispute over a whiskey business venture, however, making these allegations a one-sided account from someone with a clear personal stake in the matter.

Conor McGregor throws a punch at Max Holloway during his UFC comeback fight in July. Inset, bottom right: Artem Lobov, who claims McGregor betrayed his friends and coaches. [Getty Images]

The two were once close friends who trained together at SBG Ireland gym in Dublin. Their bond ran deep enough that in 2018, when Lobov became embroiled in a conflict with the camp of Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor flew to New York to show his support.

Their relationship soured over a financial dispute tied to McGregor's Irish whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve. Lobov claimed he had been promised a 5 percent stake in the venture in exchange for his contributions to the concept but never received it, and filed a lawsuit in 2022. The two sides reached a settlement in April this year, though the specific terms were not disclosed.

Even after the legal dispute was resolved, the rift between them did not heal. The latest outburst was triggered by McGregor's talk of a UFC return. Lobov sarcastically suggested that McGregor's motivation for fulfilling his remaining contracted bouts was simply to fund his personal habits.

The allegations about financial misconduct toward coaches and teammates, as well as the threats against Lobov's family, also emerged in the course of an online argument with McGregor's supporters.

Reflecting on the McGregor he once knew, Lobov said: "We were brothers and had each other's backs no matter what." He then turned sharply critical: "Sadly, that Conor is gone. He was a real man — unmatched in the octagon, with the heart of a lion. Now he's just a lying drug addict."

McGregor had not issued any public response to Lobov's claims as of the time of publication.

yjc@heraldcorp.com