Conor McGregor dealt blow as UFC star loses appeal in civil sexual assault case

The Irish civil court completely dismissed Conor McGregor's appeal after finding him guilty of sexual assault on an individual.

For context, McGregor found himself in deep trouble last year after he was held liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. As a result, he was ordered by the jury to pay more than $250,000 in damages to Hand. McGregor maintained his innocence, claiming that their meeting was consensual and vowed to contest the court's decision with fresh evidence.

However, earlier this month, the UFC superstar and his team withdrew new evidence. It included written testimony from Hand’s former neighbors, who reportedly witnessed a physical altercation between her and her ex-partner, Stephen Redmond.

As a result, the court rejected McGregor’s appeal of his innocence on Thursday. The news outlet Mirror recently reported the remarks of Mr. Justice Brian O’Moore, who spoke on behalf of the three-judge panel in Dublin, stating:

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''I find there is nothing in them justify setting aside finding of the jury. I therefore dismiss the appeal in its entirety'' [H/t: Mirror]

As for the MMA scene, McGregor hasn't competed since breaking his leg in the opening round in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. He was set to make his octagon comeback in a welterweight bout against fellow TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last year. However, a toe injury during training forced him out of the contest.

The Irishman recently returned to the drug testing pool as he voiced his desire to compete on the White House card. Notably, Donald Trump wants to organize a UFC event next year to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday on July 4.

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Nikita Hand shares her thoughts after winning a lawsuit against Conor McGregor

Nikita Hand was present in the Irish court on Thursday when Conor McGregor’s appeal was rejected.

She later appeared outside the courthouse and expressed her gratitude to everyone who supported her during the difficult time, saying:

''I'll begin by telling you my name...I'm also deeply grateful for everyone who supported me, those who believed in me and stood by my side throughout this long and painful journey. Disappearing has re-formatised me over and over again. Being forced to relive it, what happened has had a huge impact on me. To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is but please don't be silent. You deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice.''

Check out Nikita Hand's comments below:

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena