Conor McGregor’s appeal of the outcome of a civil lawsuit that found he had sexually assaulted a woman in his native Ireland has been dismissed by a panel of judges.
McGregor had vowed to appeal the November 2024 ruling and did so, only to see a trio of judges dismiss that appeal on Thursday.
McGregor had been ordered to pay £206,000 in damages plus costs to Nikita Hand, who had alleged the UFC star sexually assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. A McGregor acquaintance, fellow fighter James Lawrence, was not found liable, despite having similar allegations lodged against him related to incidents that supposedly transpired on the same night.
BBC and other media outlets were among those reporting the most recent development in the case.
McGregor’s appeal was dismissed on all grounds. His lawyers had argued that the original trial had been unfair, in part because jurors had been told to determine whether or not an assault had occurred, rather than sexual assault. The appellate judges, however, ruled it was “simply unreal” that jurors were confused by the wording.
Also at issue was Conor McGregor maintaining his right to silence during questioning by police. While McGregor refused to answer questions (saying “no comment” repeatedly), the appeal of the case suggested the jury was not thoroughly educated that it was his right to do so, and that invoking that right is not an admission of guilt. Instead, the matter was “left hanging,” with jurors potentially interpreting the fighter’s silence and refusal to answer questions as an admission of guilt.
The fighter was not in court for the ruling, while Hand and her supporters did attend. McGregor has steadfastly denied the allegations, stating that the encounter with Hand was consensual.
Update, 11:15AM: Conor McGregor has issued his response on social media, which has been added below. Article has also been updated to reflect James Lawrence as McGregor’s co-accused, who was found not liable in the civil case.
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1951225090265202704
