Conor McGregor has lost a civil lawsuit in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Dublin in 2018.
A jury found McGregor liable for the assault and awarded the victim, Nikita Hand, nearly 250,000 euros in damages.
The case stemmed from accusations that McGregor had violently raped and battered Hand, 35, in December 2018 at the Beacon Hotel in south Dublin.
McGregor, 36, denied the allegations, claiming the sexual encounter was consensual. He testified that he never forced Hand to do anything and insisted that her claims were fabricated.
In contrast, Hand’s lawyer described the events as a violent assault.
He argued that McGregor’s actions during the encounter, including allegedly placing Hand in a chokehold, left her terrified for her life.
According to Hand’s testimony, McGregor threatened to kill her, which left her feeling as though she would never see her daughter again.
Hand also said she felt pressured into submitting to McGregor’s advances in an attempt to avoid further harm.
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During the trial, McGregor’s defense team sought to discredit Hand’s version of events, questioning her credibility and pointing to surveillance footage that appeared to show her kissing McGregor and leaving the hotel room in what they argued was a calm manner.
They also noted that Hand had not mentioned the threat to her life during the police investigation.
However, the jury found McGregor liable for the assault, despite the lack of a criminal conviction.
In the separate case involving McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, Hand lost her lawsuit against him.
The jury’s decision marks a significant legal defeat for McGregor, who has previously faced allegations of sexual assault in the United States, although those charges were not pursued.
McGregor has yet to comment on the verdict, but the legal ramifications of the case and its financial outcome are expected to have lasting implications for his career and reputation.