Conor McGregor refuses to surrender despite a full rejection of his appeals.
A little more than 24 hours ago, Ireland’s Court of Appeal rejected McGregor's bid for a full overturn of a lower court's ruling that he sexually assaulted a woman, Nikita Hand, in a hotel room in December 2018. A jury ruling in the Dublin High Court this past November saw McGregor ordered to pay €248,000 (approximately $257,000) in damages to Hand.
Now, McGregor took to social media to speak out on the court's decision.
In particular, McGregor finds it hard to believe how he can be found civilly liable for the sexual assault when he was cleared in a criminal investigation.
"I was on the stand in a world of fog being accused of a crime I didn't commit, and that I was actually cleared of criminally, and exonerated by every witness present, as well as believed twice over by the public prosecutor, but still up on a stand civilly, in absolute shock," McGregor said. "Some say the case never went criminal because there was 'lack of evidence' that is not the case. It is the opposite! There was so much evidence!
"They had hours of footage of the 'victim' after the supposed attempted murder and rape of her. Partying away, messaging away. Leaving the hotel / coming back etc. up and down, in the lobby of the hotel, absolutely everywhere and back. And twice. Not a f****** bother. Smiling, laughing, dancing, kissing, biting, play fighting. It's some watch..."
Conor McGregor Speaks Out After Appeals In Sexual Assault Case Rejected
McGregor alleges that Hand's actions he claims happened post incident have been verified by multiple witnesses and CCTV footage. However, McGregor adds, he and his team were not permitted to submit "crucial" evidence from the criminal investigation.
"It's been some eye opener this entire process, I tell you that good folks," McGregor posted. "What has taken place here throughout these twice thrown in the bin criminal accusations is an absolute travesty! How people sleep at night is beyond me. I'm sure they don’t. Not soundly anyway, no way. Impossible.
"To falsely accuse someone of rape and lose, then attempt to ignore that fact/brush it under the rug is truly heinous on another level!"
McGregor, who has been making a bid to become President of Ireland in the upcoming election, says he will continue to maintain innocence in spite of the court's actions.
"I am happy this is still ongoing," he said. "Hopefully we hear from all. I fight on with the truth and will continue to defend myself. Ireland, amidst this shake down don't let it distract you. You can see what I am up against here and we knew this would always be the case. We fight on!"
McGregor is also facing another sexual assault allegation, stemming from an incident at the Kaseya Center in Miami during the 2023 NBA Finals.
McGregor, who has not been seen in the Octagon since UFC 264, recently submitted a sample to the UFC testing pool. Over the last month, McGregor has been teasing a return to fighting at the UFC White House card in July 2026.