Conor McGregor Facing Another Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Related to 2023 NBA Finals

Conor McGregor, UFC 264
Conor McGregor, UFC 264 pre-fight press conference Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

Embattled UFC star Conor McGregor is facing a second sexual assault lawsuit, this time in the United States.

McGregor was recently found liable in his native Ireland in a lawsuit launched by Nikita Hand, a women who claimed he “brutally raped her” and also made allegations against one of his associates.

In November, a jury awarded Hand 250,000 euros in the case, after deciding against her regarding her accusations against James Lawrence. According to Hand, McGregor left her bruised and suffering from PTSD following a December 2018 night of partying, during which he sexually assaulted her. She also claimed Lawrence had sex with her, without her content, that same night.

Video shown to the jury showed Hand congregating with McGregor before and after the alleged assault, though it did not capture any of the allegations themselves. In recent days, McGregor has pushed to have the footage released. Hand’s attorneys are attempting to block the footage from reaching the public.

McGregor previously vowed to appeal the ruling.

The threshold for criminal charges was not met in the case, nor was it in the case of a woman now suing McGregor for sexual assault following a 2023 incident. Per a report by the Associated Press, an unnamed 49-year-old “senior vice president at a high-profile Wall Street financial institution” is again alleging that the UFC star sexually assaulted her in  a bathroom in Miami’s Kaseya Center, during the Game 4 of the Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets game.

As with the Ireland case, video cameras caught the pair on camera shortly before and after the alleged incident. The plaintiff in the civil case pursued charges at the time, unsuccessfully. Generally, the burden of proof is lower in civil cases than in criminal court, where guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt.

James Dunn, representing the plaintiff in the Miami case, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.

“My client has thought long and hard about the decision to pursue this civil case, and is fearful of the effect it may have on her job on Wall Street,” Dunn said in a statement included by the AP. “Nonetheless, her main goal in filing this suit is to raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault.”

McGregor has not fought since 2021, when he broke his leg in the rubber match of his trilogy with Dustin Poirier. He had been announced to headline UFC 303 last June, only to suffer a broken toe and withdraw from the fight. Since then, McGregor’s battles have played out entirely in civil court.

Cageside Press has reached out to representatives for McGregor seeking comment. In response, McGregor’s PR group provided a statement from Barbara Llanes – Gelber, Schachter & Greenberg, Counsel for Conor McGregor.

“After a thorough investigation at the time, the State’s Attorney concluded that there was no case to pursue. Almost two years and at least three lawyers later the plaintiff has a new false story. We are confident that this case too will be dismissed.”
9:30PM ET: Story updated to include a response from McGregor’s PR representatives/counsel.