Conor McGregor. Photo: INPHO
Former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Conor McGregor has lost his attempt to overturn a civil jury's order that he compensate a woman who accused him of raping her, with Ireland's Court of Appeal rejecting the bid in its entirety.
The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor - one of the world's highest-paid athletes - sexually assaulted her in a Dublin hotel room on 9 December, 2018.
A jury last year ordered McGregor to pay her nearly €250,000 in damages.
McGregor, 36, denied the allegation and said he had "fully consensual sex" with Hand.
The ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star also denied causing bruising to the plaintiff.
Hand last year said that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, who she knew, after a work Christmas party.
She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a south Dublin hotel where drugs and alcohol were consumed.
The verdict against McGregor was reached at the conclusion of a two-week civil trial in Ireland's high court, by a jury of eight women and four men.
They handed down their decision after just over six hours of deliberations.
Speaking outside the court in November last year after the initial verdict was handed down, Hand said she was overwhelmed by the support she had received and felt vindicated.
"I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up," she said.
The now-retired MMA star earnt $180 million in 2021, making him the world's highest paid athlete in 2021, according to Forbes.
In March this year, McGregor was invited to the White House by United States President Donald Trump on St Patrick's Day, where the former UFC champion made various anti-immigration comments in relation to Ireland.
"It's about time that America is made aware of what's going on in Ireland. What is going on in Ireland is a travesty," McGregor said, ahead of an Oval Office meeting with the US president.
- Reuters
