Conor McGregor loses appeal in civil sexual assault case
In November, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found McGregor liable for assaulting Nikita Hand, who says he 'brutally raped and battered' her in a hotel penthouse in 2018. He was ordered to pay Hand almost 250,000 euros ($285,000), as well as about 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) in legal costs.
Hand, 35, successfully sued McGregor in civil court after prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.
4 Conor McGregor lost his legal appeal in July 2025 stemming from a sexual assault case.
PA Images via Getty Images
4 He was joined by partner Dee Devlin at a Dublin court in November 2024.
Sportsfile via Getty Images
The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done.
McGregor alleged that Hand fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. He launched an appeal, but at a hearing earlier this month his lawyer unexpectedly withdrew a request to introduce new evidence.
Three appeals court judges in Dublin on Thursday dismissed the appeal 'in its entirety.'
4 Conor McGregor was once the face of UFC.
Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
4 He made an appearance at the White House in March 2025.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Hand was in court for the ruling, but McGregor was not.
The 37-year-old fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime in the ring, has become known for anti-immigration statements and criticism of Irish politicians. He has flirted with the idea of running for president of Ireland.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a UFC fan, invited McGregor to the White House to mark St. Patrick's Day in March.
McGregor also faces a lawsuit in Florida for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of the Kaseya Center, home arena of the Miami Heat, during a 2023 NBA finals game with the Denver Nuggets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
LA City Council bans N-word at public meetings, triggering legal threats
Watch your mouth! The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to ban the use of the N-word and C-word at public meetings — triggering free speech backlash and the threat of a $400 million lawsuit. The controversial vote by the body allows council leadership to issue a warning for any use or variation of the slurs. Repeat offenders can be booted from the chamber and barred from future sessions. Advertisement Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is black and introduced the measure, said the use of slurs during public comments has made residents hesitant to attend meetings. 3 The council chamber where a 14–0 vote Wednesday banned use of the N-word and C-word during meetings, citing years of disruptive outbursts. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images 'It is language that, anywhere outside this building where there aren't four armed guards, would get you hurt if you said these things in public,' Harris-Dawson told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. Advertisement He added that public comment has become 'rank, cantankerous, and rude and demeaning and insulting' since Donald Trump's election in 2016, according to the LAist. The Wednesday ban is already drawing legal threats. Wayne Spindler, an attorney and longtime City Hall commenter, said Wednesday he intends to sue. 3 Critics of the new rule, including frequent City Hall speakers, claimed the city was infringing on free speech and promised legal challenges. Getty Images Advertisement 'I'm going to file my $400-million lawsuit that I already have prepared and ready to file,' Spindler said during public comment, adding he plans to read explicit Tupac Shakur lyrics until he's banned from a meeting. Spindler was arrested in 2016 after submitting a public comment card showing a burning cross, a man hanging from a tree and the phrase 'Herb = [N-word],' referring to then-Council President Herb Wesson. Prosecutors declined to bring charges. David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, warned the council's policy likely won't survive in court. 3 Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said offensive speech has surged since 2016, creating a chilling effect on civic engagement. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Advertisement 'The First Amendment prohibits the government from censoring speech because it disapproves of that speech,' Loy wrote in a letter to the City Council. The city has lost similar battles before. In 2014, it paid $215,000 to a black man who was removed from a meeting for wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and a T-shirt with the N-word. The new rule took effect immediately.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Tortured Ukrainian journalist honored by Kyiv after her death in Russian captivity
An award-winning Ukrainian war journalist who was tortured and killed while in Russian captivity is being honored after her death. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded Victoria Roshchyna the Order of Freedom on Saturday, for her 'unwavering belief that freedom will overcome everything.' 'Viktoriia was one of those who spoke the truth about the war. She worked on the frontlines and in temporarily occupied territories, risking her life,' Zelensky wrote on X. Advertisement Zelensky said Roshchyna was one of the people who spoke the truth about the war. AFP via Getty Images Roshchyna had been included in a scheduled prisoner exchange list when news of her death came in October 2024, the Ukrainian leader said. 'Russia had pledged to release her but broke its word,' said Zelensky. Advertisement The 27-year-old's mutilated body was returned in February, with her eyes, brain and part of her throat missing. She was stabbed and electrocuted before her death in a Russian prison, in what her cellmate described as 'brutal, unhinged' attacks, an investigation found. Zelensky leaves flowers at a grave site. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images Roshchyna was arrested near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, soon after reaching the Moscow-occupied Ukrainian territories in the summer of 2023.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Islamic Republic appoints ‘Kennedy of Iran' to new defense body, amid growing internal instability
In the wake of the 12-day conflict with Israel, Tehran has launched a new 'Defense Council' aimed at bolstering its badly weakened defense systems. Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei whose family was dubbed by Time Magazine 'the Kennedys of Iran,' will likely be appointed secretary of this new body, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps affiliated Fars News Agency said Saturday. 4 Larijani was Parliament speaker before becoming a close advisor to the Ayatollah. Anadolu via Getty Images The goal is to beef up the Islamic Republic's defense capabilities — which were rocked during the war — the news agency claimed, though details remain sparse. Critics inside Iran say the reshuffling comes after the Ayatollah reportedly lost trust in military leadership following the 12 days of fighting, which saw Israel covertly infiltrate Iran to obliterate nuclear and military facilities, while reportedly using Iran's cellular network against itself to disable its air defense systems. 4 The Islamic Republic is shaking up its defense structure in the wake of the 12-day war. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Shutterstock The US also seriously damaged three of Tehran's top nuclear plants, including the heavily secured Fordhow site. 'The Supreme Leader is seeking to centralize control by inserting loyal operatives deeper into every tier of the defense and intelligence structure,' wrote the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition of Iranian dissident groups. 'The leadership vacuum is growing. The regime is recycling familiar loyalists, because there is no one left to trust.' More than 30 Iranian commanders and 11 of the regime's top nuclear scientists were killed during the nearly two weeks of conflict between Israel and Iran in June. 4 Dozens of military commanders were killed in the June attacks. AFP via Getty Images Dissidents have accused the regime of draining national resources on nuclear weapons development at the expense of civilian infrastructure — with water shortages escalating and public anger mounting. 'The regime is not building new institutions to protect the Iranian people — it is creating new tools to suppress them,' said the NCRI. Larijani has been a vocal proponent of Iran's nuclear ambitions, warning in April that the US bombing of the Islamic Republic — which came to fruition in a stealth June 21 mission — would push Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. 4 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly lost faith in his leadership, is shaking up his military structure. via REUTERS 'Iran does not want to do this, but it will have no choice,' he said at the time. Iran's foreign minister this week vowed this wee to purse nuclear enrichment. 'Iranians have never bowed down before any foreigners,' Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X. 'Our enrichment facilities are severely damaged, but our determination is not.' The US airstrikes on Iran — on the ninth day of the war — reportedly set back the regime's nuclear program close to two years, according to the Pentagon.
