A case taken against Conor McGregor by another former MMA fighter for a €6million share of his whiskey brand has seen settled, the High Court has heard.

Artem Lobov, 39, a retired fighter known as The Russian Hammer, claimed to have been the initial creator and co-founder of the whiskey that became Proper No Twelve.

He said he came up with the idea while studying for his master’s degree from DCU in finance and capital markets, and that his sparring partner McGregor had agreed he would be entitled to a 5% share of the proceeds.

He said the offer was made at the Straight Blast Gym (SBG), a mixed martial arts academy, in Dublin.

His case had been set down for eight days from yesterday, but barrister Liam Bell, for Lobov, informed the court in the morning that ‘matters are progressing’.

Shortly before lunch, a second barrister for Lobov, Andrew Walker, confirmed that matters had been ‘resolved’.

Barrister Mark Lynam, for McGregor, read a statement from the Straffan-based fighter, who is set to make his return at International Fight Week, in Las Vegas, on July 11, after a five year lay-off from active competition.

McGregor said: ‘I am satisfied that this matter has been resolved, and I can focus on my training for this summer’s fight.

‘I want to thank Artem for his hard work for my whiskey business.’

No further details of the settlement were made public.

Judge John Jordan said he wanted to compliment both parties on reaching an agreement, rather than engaging in a lengthy court battle.

‘It was a sensible course of action… on something that was ultimately a matter of negotiation between them,’ he said.

If the action had gone ahead, the former UFC champion was expected to take the stand.

McGregor was not present in court yesterday, but Lobov was seen arriving at the Four Courts.

McGregor was reportedly paid $130milllion (€110m) when he and two other shareholders sold their stakes in the whiskey to Proximo Spirits, owners of Jose Cuervo tequila, for $600m (€507m), in 2021.

Proximo then cut ties with Mr McGregor and the brand following a separate High Court jury civil action in November 2024, which found he should pay almost €250,000 for raping hair colourist Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

McGregor has since lost appeals against that verdict, in both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Lobov’s case had originally been set down for eight days in May 2025. However, that was adjourned with just days to go, after Lobov changed the date on which he said the deal was agreed with McGregor.

Lobov originally claimed he made an oral agreement about the whiskey brand in a gym in September 2017, but McGregor said he was in Ibiza that September and could not have been there then.

In a subsequent costs ruling, Judge Nessa Cahill said Lobov’s initial statement of claim had read that ‘in September 2017 at the SBG gym’ McGregor ‘made a specific offer to the plaintiff of five per cent of the proceeds of the whiskey deal’.

She said Lobov asserted that it was confirmed by a handshake and was witnessed by three named individuals. McGregor denied the claim in its entirety, the judge said, saying there was never any agreement for Lobov to receive any money in respect of the whiskey.

An exchange of documents was made between the two sides, but then Lobov’s solicitors wrote to McGregor, saying: ‘On reviewing the documentation and preparing for hearing, the plaintiff’s evidence now shall be that the agreement…was concluded in October 2017 in SBG Gym.’

Judge Cahill said that in a sworn statement, Lobov had apologised for his error, and for causing confusion and delay.

She said: ‘He recalled that he was in fact in Iceland for 10 days after the defendant’s fight against Floyd Mayweather, which occurred on 26 August, 2017.’

She said Lobov also said that in preparing for the trial, he came across an old phone which was damaged. She said he managed to access information ‘including texts which he said showed that the approximate date upon which he thought the handshake with the defendant had occurred was incorrect’.

He said messages he accessed confirmed to him that the McGregor meeting occurred in October and not in September.

Judge Cahill said McGregor had been prejudiced in his defence and ruled that Lobov must pay the lion’s share of the legal costs incurred by McGregor’s team over the date change.

The case had then been scheduled for December, but was again delayed after McGregor’s legal team said a key witness was receiving treatment in hospital, and would not be able to give evidence.