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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
A jury ruled in favor of a woman who accused UFC superstar Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in December 2018.
The High Court in Dublin ordered McGregor to pay the complainant 248,000 euros, or around $257,000.
The jury had deliberated on the case since Thursday. McGregor, who denied the accusations and said he had consensual sex with the accuser, is not currently facing any criminal charges from the incident.
According to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, the woman told the High Court she met McGregor at a Christmas party in Dublin. She accused the former two-weight UFC champion of forcing her onto a bed, choking her and making her fear for her life. A paramedic who treated the woman’s injuries the next morning told the courtroom he had never seen such intense bruising on a victim, according to BBC News.
The woman’s lawyer, John Gordon, said she never pretended to be a saint and had gone out looking for a good time that ended up turning into a nightmare. Gordon said McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client.
“He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” Gordon told jurors. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.”
The woman had to take several breaks in her emotional testimony as she said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter.
McGregor put her in a choke hold several times and later told her, “Now you know how I felt in the Octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to an Ultimate Fighting Championship when he had to admit defeat, she said.
She said she feared she would die and never see her daughter again.
“He let me go and I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she said. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he sexually assaulted her. Police investigated the woman’s complaint, but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.
McGregor said the two had sex that was athletic and vigorous, but not rough. He said, “She never said ‘no’ or stopped,” and testified that everything she said was a lie.
“It is a full-blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.”
McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter.
“You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him — there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.”
Ultimately, the jury of eight women and four men ruled against his version of the event.
McGregor released a statement saying he will appeal.
I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future….
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2024
The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McGregor has not fought since he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was scheduled for a highly anticipated return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June but withdrew in the weeks leading up to the event with an injured toe. He has teased the “greatest comeback” in sports history for years. He is 1-3 in his past four appearances, going back to 2018.
McGregor has four children with his longtime fiancée, Dee Devlin.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.