Conor McGregor loses appeal in civil sexual assault case

LONDON — Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor on Thursday lost his legal appeal against a civil court’s finding that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Dublin hotel.

In November, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found McGregor liable for assaulting Nikita Hand, who says he “brutally raped and battered” her in a hotel penthouse in 2018. He was ordered to pay Hand almost 250,000 euros ($285,000), as well as about 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) in legal costs.

Hand, 35, successfully sued McGregor in civil court after prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.

The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done.

McGregor alleged that Hand fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. He launched an appeal, but at a hearing earlier this month his lawyer unexpectedly withdrew a request to introduce new evidence.

Three appeals court judges in Dublin on Thursday dismissed the appeal “in its entirety.”

Hand was in court for the ruling, but McGregor was not.

The 37-year-old fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime in the ring, has become known for anti-immigration statements and criticism of Irish politicians. He has flirted with the idea of running for president of Ireland.

U.S. President Donald Trump, a UFC fan, invited McGregor to the White House to mark St. Patrick’s Day in March.

McGregor also faces a lawsuit in Florida for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of the Kaseya Center, home arena of the Miami Heat, during a 2023 NBA finals game with the Denver Nuggets.