Conor McGregor has been found liable for sexual assault.
After roughly six hours of deliberation, a High Court jury ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Nikita Hand, who accused the UFC star of raping her at a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor managed to avoid criminal charges when the case was first brought to authorities in 2018, prompting Hand to file the multi-million dollar civil suit in early 2021.
McGregor admitted to having sexual intercourse with Hand during the two-week trial but maintained that their encounter was consensual. However, gynecologist Dr. Daniel Kane noted that her injuries were “consistent with the outline of events” following a forensic examination conducted hours after the assault occurred.
McGregor was spotted exiting the court shortly after the ruling alongside his longtime partner, Dee Devlin, the mother of his four children.
Conor McGregor ‘Disappointed’ by the Jury’s Decision
McGregor has been ordered to pay Hand just under $260,000 in damages. Originally, she sought roughly $2 million for lost wages, a change of homes, and medical expenses.
He later said in a statement that he had instructed his legal team to appeal the civil court’s decision, adding he was “disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the director of public prosecutions reviewed.”
Hand addressed reporters outside of the courtroom immediately following the ruling.
“A reminder that no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice,” she said. “I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served.”
Despite being one of combat sports’ biggest stars, Conor McGregor has not competed since a July 2021 loss against Dustin Poirier. On that night, McGregor brutally broke his leg which left him laid up for the next year. Since then, rumors of his return to action under the UFC banner have continued to run rampant.
McGregor was scheduled to square off with Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but a broken pinky toe prompted him to bow out of the bout. No date for his return has been announced.
Check out Sky Sports’ coverage of McGregor’s guilty verdict below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6OI6giGGk
