Conor McGregor has lost his legal appeal to overturn a civil court’s finding that he sexually assaulted a woman, with the victim-survivor Nikita Hand saying the appeal was “retraumatising” but she can now finally “move on and try to heal”.
A former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, McGregor was ordered to compensate Hand after Ireland’s High Court ruled in her favour last year, after she accused McGregor of sexually assaulting her in a Dublin hotel room on December 9, 2018. He denied the allegation.
McGregor, 37, was ordered by a jury to pay Hand nearly 250,000 euros in damages. He was also liable for her court costs which were estimated to be around 1.3 million euros.
Earlier this year, McGregor attempted to appeal the decision, but the High Court has dismissed the appeal on all grounds.
Speaking outside the court on Friday, Hand said the appeal had “retraumatised” her “over and over again”.
“Being forced to relive what happened has had a huge impact on me,” Hand said.
“To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is but please don’t be silenced. You deserve to be heard. You also deserve justice.”
“Today I can finally move on and try to heal,” Hand said.
A hairdresser and mother-of-one, Hand was applauded by women’s rights advocates last year for standing up for justice against one of the highest paid athletes in the world. After the court’s verdict ruled in her favour, Hand thanked everyone who stood by her side throughout the ordeal.
Hand told the court that when McGregor assaulted her in 2018, he had pinned her to the bed in the Dublin hotel room and placed her in an MMA-style chokehold while he raped her. She thought she’d never see her daughter again.
Speaking outside the court in November last year, Hand said had decided to speak out “to show Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.”
This week, for the ruling against McGregor’s appeal, Hand was in court but McGregor was not present.
McGregor also faces a lawsuit in Florida for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of a stadium during the 2023 NBA finals game.
In March this year, McGregor was invited to the US White House by President Donald Trump, where McGregor made various anti-immigration comments in relation to Ireland.