“Still in Ireland on benefits” - Conor McGregor taunts Artem Lobov's decision to stay in Ireland rather than return to war-torn Russia

Conor McGregor has called out his former friend Artem Lobov in relation to the ongoing civil issues in Russia.

Russia is currently in a war-torn state as their conflict with Ukraine continues to create devastation. The situation has now added a new layer of controversy as a rebellion run by Yevgeny Prigozhin is reportedly challenging Vladimir Putin’s reign of power, leading to a potential civil war.

The shocking news has gone viral on social media, leading to many popular figures commenting on what’s happening in Russia. McGregor used the situation to call out Lobov (who is of Russian descent) on Twitter by saying:

“Civil war in Russia and Artem lobov still in Ireland on benefits.”

Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov were once close friends, with their friendship being showcased on The Ultimate Fighter Season 22. In November 2022, their relationship began spiraling out of control after ‘The Russian Hammer’ sued the former two-division UFC champion for allegedly not getting credit for his assistance with creating Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey.

Since the lawsuit was announced, McGregor has continuously mocked Lobov, including a street fight callout. ‘The Russian Hammer’ didn’t find success in court, as he was ordered to pay the legal fees of the former two-division UFC champion.

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Will Conor McGregor make his UFC return in 2023?

Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021, losing against Dustin Poirier for the second consecutive time. The fight ended when McGregor suffered a severe leg injury, leading to a lengthy and treacherous recovery process. Two years later, ‘The Notorious’ is getting closer and closer to his highly-anticipated UFC return.

McGregor recently coached The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 against Michael Chandler. The UFC superstars were expected to fight once the season was done airing, but there is a significant problem standing in their way. ‘The Notorious’ has been removed from the USADA testing pool, which requires six months of clean tests before fighting again.

McGregor has reportedly not re-joined the USADA program, making him ineligible to compete in 2023. There is a small amount of hope that ‘The Notorious’ will receive an exemption, but the drug-testing agency has repeatedly denied those chances. As a result, the former two-division UFC champion likely won’t be fighting again until 2024.