Conor McGregor, mixed martial arts star, convicted in civil court for rape

Irishman Conor McGregor, world star of mixed martial arts (MMA), was ordered, Friday, November 22, by the Irish courts to pay nearly 250,000 euros in damages to Nikita Hand, a woman who accused him of having raped her on December 9, 2018.

Mr McGregor, 36, was accused of “brutally raped and beaten” the complainant in a Dublin hotel room. For his part, he affirmed that the sexual relationship was consensual. This 35-year-old woman burst into tears when the verdict was announced, then emphasizing to the media that this trial had been for her “a nightmare”. “I hope my story shows that you have to speak up, even if you are afraid. Speak up, you have a voice, and continue to fight for justice”she urged.

Nicknamed “The Notorious”, Conor McGregor is one of the world stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the most famous and profitable MMA league. He is known for his aggressive, provocative temperament, and has already been accused several times of sexual assault and violence in different countries.

After this trial lasting around ten days, the Dublin High Court ordered him to pay 248,603.60 euros to Nikita Hand, a sum which notably includes medical costs. M^me Hand had accused the martial arts star of pinning her on a bed and strangling her three times before raping her. On the stand, she said she “frozen” and thinking she would never see her daughter again.

The complainant also accused a friend of Mr McGregor, James Lawrence, of having sexually assaulted her in the same hotel, but she was not successful in this matter. The two men, the complainant, who was a hairdresser, and one of her colleagues had party in this hotel the night and the morning of the incident, consuming alcohol and cocaine.

Conor McGregor was in court with his family and his fiancée, Dee Devlin. During the trial, his lawyers accused Nikita Hand of trying to “extort” money.

Several sexual assault investigations

The former featherweight and lightweight champion has not fought in the octagon since July 2021 due to a leg injury. Its resumption, scheduled for June, has been postponed. In 2020, the Irishman was the highest paid athlete in the world according to the magazine Forbeswith 170 million euros in winnings.

He was investigated for a sexual assault during a 2023 NBA Finals game in Miami, which did not result in charges. Conor McGregor was also the subject of a complaint in Corsica in 2020 for attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, dismissed “for insufficiently characterized offense”. He had previously also been implicated in two attacks in the United States.

In the case of Nikita Hand, the prosecution had decided to abandon the criminal proceedings against Conor McGregor, according to him for lack of sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction. The complainant indicated that she felt “absolutely devastated” by this decision and “abandoned”according to public media RTE. The day after the events, she had to be taken by ambulance to a unit specializing in sexual violence in a Dublin hospital.

Physical and psychological trauma was noted during his examination, including severe bruising on his wrists and neck pain. Nikita Hand has since quit her job and has not been able to return to employment, she reported. She says she was unable to pay for consultations with a psychologist.