Conor McGregor Held Liable for Sexual Assault, Ordered to Pay Six-Figure Damages

An Irish jury found that the fighter assaulted a woman in 2018.

Conor McGregor in 2024. / [NETWORK PROPERTY]-USA TODAY NETWORK

An Irish jury ruled Friday that MMA fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a hotel in Dublin in 2018.

The jury ordered McGregor to pay 250,000 euros (about $260,000) in damages to Nikita Hand for the assault. It found that another man, James Lawrence, did not assault Hand.

Hand's attorneys told the jury the assault took place after a Christmas party in December 2018. Per Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ, Hand accused McGregor of pinning her down, choking her three times and sexually assaulting her.

Per Hand's attorneys [via Reuters] a doctor she saw after the assault "was so concerned that he directed that photographs be taken of her injuries." She also feared she would die and never see her daughter again.

McGregor denied the allegations, saying he had "fully consensual sex" with Hand. He announced on X Friday that he plans to appeal the ruling.

Hand, a hair colorist by trade, grew up in the same area as McGregor in Dublin.

McGregor was previously scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29—a bout that was called off after the fighter broke a toe.

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