Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts fighter, lost his appeal against a jury’s order to compensate Nikita Hand for allegedly raping her in 2018. The Court of Appeal rejected McGregor’s argument that the trial judge erred by directing the jury to decide on assault rather than sexual assault.
A jury last year ordered McGregor to pay Hand nearly €250,000 in damages after she claimed he assaulted her at a Dublin hotel party. McGregor denied the allegations and said he had consensual sex with Hand. However, the appeal court rejected his argument that certain lines of questioning during cross-examination should not have been allowed.
Hand stated outside the court that she was relieved to finally be able to move on from the ordeal. “To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please don’t be silenced,” she said. Hand claimed McGregor took her to a bedroom in a penthouse room after a work Christmas party and sexually assaulted her. The incident also led to her being referred to a sexual assault treatment unit, where a doctor noted her injuries.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/31/sport/conor-mcgregor-appeal-rape-mma-spt