LONDON (AP) — 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 publicly came forward to say he “brutally raped and battered” her in a hotel penthouse in 2018.
McGregor 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.
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. Speaking outside court, Hand said the appeal “retraumatized” her by forcing her to relive what happened again and again.
“To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please, don’t be silenced,” she said. “You deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice. Today, I can finally move on and try to heal.”
McGregor currently faces another 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. He has denied those allegations and dismissed them as a “shakedown.”
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.
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