Three senior judges at Dublin’s Court of Appeal have decisively rejected Conor McGregor’s attempt to overturn a civil s*xual assault verdict, dismissing his legal challenge “on all grounds” according to multiple news outlets including the BBC.
The former UFC champion had sought to reverse November’s jury decision that found him liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in 2018. The original verdict required McGregor to pay Hand £206,000 in damages.
McGregor’s legal team had argued that his police interview responses “should not have been put before the jury,” forming the basis of their appeal strategy. The fighter had previously expressed disappointment with the initial verdict, stating he was troubled “that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed.”
The case centered on allegations that McGregor assaulted Hand in a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford, Dublin. During testimony, Hand reportedly told a friend that McGregor had “raped and battered” her during the alleged incident.
McGregor maintained throughout the proceedings that any intimate contact was consensual, describing it as “athletic, physical” while denying any assault took place. When confronted by Hand’s legal representative, he dismissed the allegations entirely, declaring that “everything is a lie.”
The Court of Appeal’s unanimous rejection represents a significant legal setback for the mixed martial arts star, who had publicly announced his intention to challenge the original decision immediately following the November verdict.
The civil case has drawn considerable attention given McGregor’s high-profile status in professional sports and entertainment. Hand’s legal victory in the initial trial was seen as a landmark moment in Irish civil litigation involving public figures.
McGregor has remained silent following news of the failed appeal, offering no immediate public response to the court’s decision. The ruling effectively closes this chapter of legal proceedings, solidifying the original jury’s findings and the associated financial judgment against the former champion.
