Conor McGregor has officially appealed the judgment against him in a civil lawsuit concerning an alleged sexual assault that reportedly occurred in 2018.
Reports from numerous Irish news sources indicate that McGregor submitted his appeal to the courts last Friday. He is attempting to overturn the judgment after a jury found him responsible for sexual assault and mandated him to pay €248,603.60 (approximately $258,440).
Shortly after the trial concluded, McGregor declared his intention to appeal the verdict while maintaining his innocence in the case involving Nikita Hand, who accused him of assault at a hotel in Dublin, Ireland.
“People want to hear from me, I needed time,” McGregor wrote last November. “I acknowledge my mistakes. Six years ago, I should not have responded to her attempts to contact me. I should have ended the party earlier. I should never have been unfaithful to my partner. I take full responsibility for this.
“Despite my regrets, everything that transpired that night was consensual, as confirmed by all witnesses under oath. I have instructed my legal team to proceed with an appeal against the decision.”
During the trial, Hand’s lawyers argued that McGregor “raped and battered” their client. However, the 36-year-old fighter denied these accusations and testified that the “sex with me was athletic, physical” but entirely consensual.
At the trial’s conclusion, the jury determined McGregor was liable for sexual assault but acquitted his friend, James Lawrence, who was also accused of assaulting Hand.
Recently, the Irish court instructed McGregor not to disseminate CCTV footage of Hand, which he retained after the civil case. The judge ordered McGregor to destroy or return all copies of the footage and provide a sworn statement detailing its deletion.
Hand’s lawyer reportedly informed the court that he considered the affidavit “entirely inadequate” and alleged that McGregor had not fully complied with the order. The subsequent hearing regarding this matter is scheduled for March 6.
In addition to the Irish case, McGregor is facing another lawsuit in the United States. This separate lawsuit accuses him of sexually assaulting a woman after he attended a Miami Heat basketball game. No criminal charges have been filed against him in this matter.
McGregor’s lawyer, Barbara Llanes, issued a statement strongly refuting the allegations following the filing of the lawsuit in January.
“After a comprehensive investigation at the time, the State’s Attorney concluded there was no basis for prosecution,” Llanes stated. “Nearly two years later, and after being represented by at least three different lawyers, the plaintiff has fabricated a new false account. We are confident that this case will also be dismissed.”
