CONOR MCGREGOR LOSES APPEAL IN IRISH CIVIL RAPE CASE, ORDERED TO PAY €1.5M IN COSTS
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Agency Report
Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor suffered a legal blow in Ireland on Thursday as the Court of Appeal in Dublin dismissed his challenge to a civil court ruling that awarded nearly €250,000 in damages to a woman who accused him of rape.
A panel of three judges rejected all grounds of appeal filed by McGregor, 36, who had sought to overturn a 2023 High Court jury verdict in favor of 35-year-old Nikita Hand. She alleged McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. The UFC fighter has maintained the encounter was consensual.
While Hand lost a separate assault claim against a second man, the jury ruled in her favor on the civil rape claim, awarding her €250,000 in damages. McGregor was also ordered to cover the full legal costs of the case, estimated at around €1.5 million.
McGregor was not present during the month-long appeal proceedings. His legal team argued that errors in judicial procedure, including the conduct of cross-examination, warranted a retrial. The appellate court disagreed.
Speaking after the verdict, Hand said the appeal process had been retraumatizing but expressed relief that it had ended.
“I can finally move on and try to heal,” she told reporters. “To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please don’t be silenced. You deserve to be heard. You also deserve justice.”
McGregor, nicknamed “The Notorious,” is one of the biggest names in UFC history, having held both featherweight and lightweight titles. He remains a controversial public figure in Ireland, known for his outspoken anti-immigration views and a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in March at the White House.
The fighter also faces a separate civil lawsuit in the United States, where he is accused of sexual assault during an NBA Finals game in Miami in 2023.
McGregor has announced his intention to run for president in Ireland’s upcoming election later this year. The presidency is a largely ceremonial office, and McGregor would need to secure either the backing of 20 national lawmakers or endorsements from four local authorities to appear on the ballot.
The presidential election must be held by mid-November.
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