What was the verdict in Conor McGregor's sexual assault case? Details explored as UFC star is denied appeal

Conor McGregor's bid for an appeal has been denied in his sexual assault case.

The mixed martial arts fighter's attempt from earlier this year to overturn the jury's conviction that he compensate the alleged victim was shut down by Ireland’s Court of Appeal, CNN has reported. The BBC has reported that he was not in court during the ruling, though Nikita Hand, the plaintiff, was present.

According to the contents of McGregor's civil jury appeal, his lawyers argued that his answers to the police during interviews ought not to have been presented before the jury. His barrister further claimed that his issue paper should have been worded differently, as it influenced the jury's verdict. However, the senior judge dismissed the appeal on all grounds.

Nikita Hand accused McGregor, 37, of rape on December 9, 2018. In the trial that ended in November 2024, the Irish UFC star was ordered to pay her about £206,000 in restitution. At the time, he maintained his innocence, referring to their encounter as “fully consensual sex." He also denied causing her any bruising.

The allegations against Conor McGregor explored:

According to ESPN, Conor McGregor's legal team intended to present several arguments, including a new testimony from Hand's neighbors, who claimed they saw her get into a physical altercation before her encounter with him. However, the team withdrew this argument earlier this month. In the end, the High Court ruled against him once again.

RTÉ, an Irish national broadcaster, reported that Hand claimed to have met Conor McGregor in Dublin at a Christmas party. She accused him of forcing her to get on the bed before choking her and causing her to fear for her safety. The latter, who has four kids with his longtime girlfriend, never faced criminal prosecution for the same.

During the original trial, as reported by the BBC, the jury was let in on Conor McGregor's police interrogation, during which time he'd repeated "no comment" around 100 times. In their appeal from earlier this month, his lawyers also contended that the judge should have directed the jurors to decide if Conor had "assaulted" Hand, rather than “sexually assaulted."

However, as reported by CNN, Judge Brian O’Moore reiterated on Thursday that the overall goal of the trial judge was to specify the main allegation that McGregor had raped Hand.

After the hearing this Thursday, Hand spoke to reporters about how she felt throughout her civil lawsuit:

"This appeal has retraumatised me over and over again, being forced to relive it, what happened has had a huge impact on me," she said. "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. Today, I can finally move on and try to heal."

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