Conor McGregor’s relationship with this fighter is far different than when they were formulating knockouts together on The Ultimate Fighter.
McGregor got his first taste of coaching on TUF in 2015, when he went head-to-head with Urijah Faber on season 22 of the UFC’s hit reality show.
The series saw lightweights go to battle in pursuit of a spot in the promotion, and among those on the former two-division UFC champion’s team was Artem Lobov, who was then a teammate of McGregor’s at the SBG Ireland gym.
‘The Notorious’ selected Lobov when both coaches were able to bring back a fighter who was eliminated during the entry round of fights. ‘The Russian Hammer’ made the most of his second chance, making it all the way to the final.
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Conor McGregor jumped the cage to celebrate after Artem Lobov knocked out Chris Gruetzemacher
Lobov reeled off three straight wins to make the TUF 22 final against Ryan Hall, the most brutal of which came on this day, August 18, in 2015 (the episode aired on November 25).
After getting past James Jenkins in the elimination round, the Dublin resident faced Chris Gruetzemacher in the quarterfinal. Both men were left damaged during the bloody war, but it was the Team McGregor fighter who connected with the killer shots deep into the second round.
With McGregor shouting instructions from his corner, Lobov pushed forward and landed a devastating left hand that rocked Gruetzemacher, before a second immediately flattened him out on the canvas.
The jubilant Irishman quickly jumped over the cage fence to celebrate with his victorious teammate, who was fired up himself after progressing to the next round.
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Lobov went on to lose against Ryan Hall in the final, which was part of the undercard for Frankie Edgar’s featherweight clash with Chad Mendes in December 2015.
McGregor, meanwhile, returned nine seasons later to coach TUF 31 against Michael Chandler. Second time around, a teammate of his was able to lift the trophy, with Brad Katona beating Cody Gibson to emerge victorious from the bantamweight bracket.
Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov are now embroiled in a bitter legal spat
These days, their relationship is a far cry from the brotherly love the pair showed each other on TUF and in the subsequent years.
McGregor was once so close with the Russian that he flew to Brooklyn and got himself arrested for attacking a bus full of UFC fighters in pursuit of revenge for a skirmish between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Lobov.
Lobov and McGregor are now on bad terms amid a public feud that was sparked when the former sued the latter to claim a stake in his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand.
Lobov claimed McGregor’s brand was his idea, and despite admitting that he turned down a $1 million offer from the Irish star, Lobov is now seeking five percent of the money collected when McGregor sold Proper No. Twelve for $600 million.
‘The Notorious’ reportedly pocketed $130 million, meaning Lobov has sued McGregor for $6.5 million. The lawsuit is now in Ireland’s High Court and a trial is set for December.