Conor McGregor has lost his civil jury appeal against a ruling that found he sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
The Irish Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld a previous decision ordering the mixed martial arts star to pay £206,000 in damages to Nikita Hand.
McGregor had challenged the original verdict on multiple grounds, including objections to the jury being shown his police interviews—in which he said “no comment” around 100 times—and the wording of a key question on the jury’s issue paper. His legal team claimed the question should have read “sexual assault” rather than “assault” to avoid potential confusion.
However, the three senior judges unanimously dismissed the appeal. They ruled there was no “real risk of unfair trial” and rejected the notion that the jury might have misunderstood the charge, stating it was “simply unreal” to suggest any confusion over the meaning of “assault” in the context of the case.
McGregor did not attend the hearing. Nikita Hand was present with supporters as the judges delivered their decision, dismissing the appeal “in its entirety”.
The court also upheld a cost order against McGregor’s friend James Lawrence, who had been accused alongside him but was found not liable by the jury. Despite this, Lawrence must still pay legal costs after Ms Hand’s claim.
McGregor and Lawrence had denied the allegations, insisting the sexual encounter with Ms Hand was consensual.
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