DUBLIN— Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has lost his appeal against a civil jury’s finding that he sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
The Court of Appeal in Dublin on Thursday dismissed the appeal in its entirety, upholding the jury’s decision from November 2023 which found McGregor liable for raping Nikita Hand and awarded her £206,000 in damages, plus legal costs.
McGregor had challenged the verdict on several grounds, including how jury questions were worded and the inclusion of his repeated “no comment” answers during police interviews.
However, a three-judge panel led by Justice Eric Ogola found that none of the arguments warranted a retrial.
“There was no real risk of an unfair trial,” the court ruled, rejecting claims that the presentation of police interviews or the wording of the jury issue paper had compromised the process.
Key Appeal Arguments Rejected
McGregor’s legal team argued that the jury issue paper should have asked if he committed “sexual assault” rather than the broader term “assault.”
The court rejected the claim as “simply unreal,” stating that jurors could not reasonably have misunderstood the nature of the case, which clearly involved allegations of rape.
On the issue of his police interviews, in which McGregor said “no comment” over 100 times, the judges said his legal team had not demonstrated any prejudice resulting from that evidence being presented in court.
“The allegations of bias, conflict of interest or abuse of power have not been substantiated,” the panel ruled.
McGregor was not present in court for the ruling. Nikita Hand, who attended with supporters, said the lengthy legal process had taken a heavy toll.
“This appeal has retraumatised me over and over again,” she said outside court. “But today, I can finally begin to heal.”
Co-Defendant Also Loses Appeal
McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, who was also accused in the civil suit but cleared by the jury, lost his appeal against an order to pay legal costs.
Hand had alleged both men raped her, while they claimed the sexual encounter was consensual.
Discarded New Evidence Raises Questions
The judges also addressed McGregor’s earlier attempt to introduce new witness testimony from two former neighbours of Hand.
The pair claimed her injuries may have resulted from a separate incident involving her former partner.
However, McGregor’s legal team withdrew this line of argument prior to the hearing.
The judges called the decision to abandon such a “contentious” part of the appeal “somewhat mysterious,” and awarded Ms Hand additional costs for that portion of the case.
The ruling brings a dramatic and high-profile civil case to a close, although it remains unclear if McGregor will pursue any further legal avenues. He continues to deny all allegations.
Hand used the moment to encourage other survivors to come forward.
“To every survivor out there: don’t be silenced. You deserve to be heard. You deserve justice.”
