Conor McGregor, a mixed martial arts competitor, lost his appeal in Ireland on Thursday about a civil court decision from the previous year that gave a woman who accused him of rape damages. The 36-year-old McGregor’s appeal was denied by three judges at the Court of Appeal in Dublin.
In November, a jury at Dublin’s High Court granted damages of over €250,000 ($258,000) to 35-year-old Nikita Hand, who claimed that McGergor had sexually assaulted her in a hotel in the Irish capital in 2018. The court heard claims that Hand was “brutally raped and battered” by McGregor.
“They had consenting intercourse”, according to the Irish athlete. But Hand lost her case against a second individual for assault. McGregor was ordered to pay the full cost of the litigation, which was believed to be roughly €1.5 million ($1.58 million), after the November verdict.
In order to have the civil case against him retried, he appealed the jury’s verdict. During a month of appeal hearings, McGregor, a prominent member of the Irish anti-immigration movement who visited the White House with US President Donald Trump on Saint Patrick’s Day in March, was not present in court.
His legal team contended that his cross-examination at the initial trial was one of several judicial errors. Hand told reporters following the decision that although the appeal had “retraumatized” her, she could now “finally move on and try to heal.”
“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,” she urged.
Former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor, often known by his nickname “The Notorious,” is one of the biggest names in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts circuit.
He has declared his intention to run for president of Ireland this year. The election of the nation’s next president, who will serve primarily as a ceremonial figure with no executive authority, must take place by mid-November, but he must overcome several formidable obstacles to be included on the ballot.
