Conor McGregor, MMA star, sued again for sexual assault

Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) star Conor McGregor must once again face a sexual assault case. A woman attacked the 36-year-old athlete in American civil justice on Tuesday, January 14, whom she accuses of having attacked her in the toilets of the Miami (Florida) basketball team room in 2023.

The case was initially examined by the Miami-Dade County prosecutor’s office, which includes the Florida metropolis. But she ultimately gave up criminally charging Conor McGregor, due to lack of sufficient evidence. Following this decision, “civil proceedings are the only legal avenue in this matter”explained James Dunn, the lawyer for the alleged victim, a 49-year-old woman, vice-president of a leading financial institution.

“My client has thought long and hard about the decision to pursue this civil case and fears the consequences it could have on her work on Wall Street, the lawyer said. Nonetheless, her main goal in filing this complaint is to raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault. »

“At the end of an in-depth investigation, at the time, the prosecutor concluded that there was insufficient evidence” to pursue Conor McGregor, recalled the Irish star’s lawyer, Barbara Llanes. “Almost two years later, and after three lawyers, the complainant has a new false version”argued the lawyer. “We are confident that this action will also be ruled out. »

Room operator sued for negligence

According to the complaint filed Tuesday, the facts took place on June 9, 2023, during the fourth game of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, at the Kaseya Center. At the end of the meeting, the woman was led by someone from McGregor’s entourage to the men’s restroom, where the assault allegedly took place.

The alleged victim, who initially filed a complaint two days after the alleged events, also attacked the operator of the Kaseya Center, accused of negligence. According to her, the staff and security of the room “had actual knowledge of the wrongfulness of the conduct” of Mc Gregor and did not provide sufficient security to protect her. She accuses staff of continuing to serve alcohol to McGregor despite “knowledge of an increased risk of assault and battery”.

Conor McGregor was at the match for a promotional sequence for a painkiller, during which he knocked the Heat mascot to the ground before punching her again while she was lying down. The person who played the mascot ended his evening in the emergency room.

Already convicted in Dublin for rape

Conor McGregor is one of the great figures of the professional MMA league, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He became the first fighter to win featherweight and lightweight titles at the same time.

In 2020, he was the professional athlete to have earned the most money, i.e. 180 million dollars (approximately 175 million euros), according to the magazine Forbes.

In November 2024, he was ordered by the High Court in Dublin to pay €248,603 in damages to a 35-year-old woman who had sued him for having “brutally raped and beaten”.