Conor McGregor to appeal after losing civil rape case and being forced to pay £206,000 in damages to victim
A woman who accused Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel has won her claim against him for damages in a High Court civil case. Nikita Hand said she was sexually assaulted in December 2018, accusing ex-UFC champion McGregor of ‘brutally raping and battering’ her in a hotel bedroom in Dublin. McGregor is one of the most well known athletes on the planetPA The jury delivered its verdict at Dublin’s High Court on Friday. McGregor was ordered to pay Hand €248,603.60 (£206,556.03) in damages. Speaking after her victory, Hand, 35, said: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be – speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice. “I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously. “It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. “Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter.” McGregor, who heard the verdict along with his partner Dee Devlin and close family, left the court without comment but later announced his decision to appeal. The 36-year-old Irishman said: “I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. “I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide.” Hand didn’t win her case against the second named defendant and McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, as the jury said he did not assault her. He was alongside partner Dee Devlin at court on FridayPA The jury had sat through eight days of evidence, including from Hand, McGregor and Lawrence as well as doctors and two paramedics. Both men had denied the claims by the 35-year-old and pleaded they separately had consensual sex with Hand at the Beacon Hotel. The trial was a civil case after the director of public prosecutions in Ireland decided not to charge McGregor criminally, meaning he could not have faced a prison sentence. In a Republic of Ireland civil action – as opposed to a criminal case – neither the complainant nor the accused are entitled to automatic anonymity during the court proceedings. A Dublin native, McGregor is one of the most recognisable names in sport, having cemented himself as one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. Notable career highlights include becoming the first UFC fighter in history to hold two titles in two weight divisions at the same time when he won the featherweight and lightweight belts in 2015 and 2016. McGregor was the first UFC fighter to hold two of their belts simultaneouslyGetty He also crossed over into boxing for a lucrative fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Hand’s allegations come from a period two months after McGregor lost a highly anticipated lightweight title bout to Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 36-year-old made his debut for Dana White’s promotion back in April 2013, after emerging through the ranks at Irish-owned MMA promotion Cage Warriors. He won his first seven bouts in the UFC and infamously knocked out Jose Aldo after 13 seconds in 2015 to claim featherweight gold. McGregor then suffered his first UFC defeat in the octagon to Nate Diaz, before beating the American in their rematch and becoming a two-division champion. The Irishman knocked out Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 after two rounds to become the first-ever fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. He has not fought in the octagon since breaking his leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021 but remains one of sport’s most famous athletes.
A woman who accused Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel has won her claim against him for damages in a High Court civil case.
Nikita Hand said she was sexually assaulted in December 2018, accusing ex-UFC champion McGregor of ‘brutally raping and battering’ her in a hotel bedroom in Dublin.
The jury delivered its verdict at Dublin’s High Court on Friday.
McGregor was ordered to pay Hand €248,603.60 (£206,556.03) in damages.
Speaking after her victory, Hand, 35, said: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be – speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.
“I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
“Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter.”
McGregor, who heard the verdict along with his partner Dee Devlin and close family, left the court without comment but later announced his decision to appeal.
The 36-year-old Irishman said: “I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages.
“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide.”
Hand didn’t win her case against the second named defendant and McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, as the jury said he did not assault her.
The jury had sat through eight days of evidence, including from Hand, McGregor and Lawrence as well as doctors and two paramedics.
Both men had denied the claims by the 35-year-old and pleaded they separately had consensual sex with Hand at the Beacon Hotel.
The trial was a civil case after the director of public prosecutions in Ireland decided not to charge McGregor criminally, meaning he could not have faced a prison sentence.
In a Republic of Ireland civil action – as opposed to a criminal case – neither the complainant nor the accused are entitled to automatic anonymity during the court proceedings.
A Dublin native, McGregor is one of the most recognisable names in sport, having cemented himself as one of the most popular fighters in the UFC.
Notable career highlights include becoming the first UFC fighter in history to hold two titles in two weight divisions at the same time when he won the featherweight and lightweight belts in 2015 and 2016.
He also crossed over into boxing for a lucrative fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Hand’s allegations come from a period two months after McGregor lost a highly anticipated lightweight title bout to Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 36-year-old made his debut for Dana White’s promotion back in April 2013, after emerging through the ranks at Irish-owned MMA promotion Cage Warriors.
He won his first seven bouts in the UFC and infamously knocked out Jose Aldo after 13 seconds in 2015 to claim featherweight gold.
McGregor then suffered his first UFC defeat in the octagon to Nate Diaz, before beating the American in their rematch and becoming a two-division champion.
The Irishman knocked out Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 after two rounds to become the first-ever fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously.
He has not fought in the octagon since breaking his leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021 but remains one of sport’s most famous athletes.
