On 31/7, three senior judges at the Dublin Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed McGregor's appeal against a prior civil ruling. Legally, the case is now closed. The former UFC champion has no further appeal options within the Irish court system.
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Conor McGregor before a court hearing in Dublin in 2024. Photo: AS |
Conor McGregor before a court hearing in Dublin in 2024. Photo: AS
McGregor will have to fulfill his civil obligations under the November 2024 ruling, including paying the plaintiff approximately 257,000 USD in damages and nearly 1.5 million USD in legal fees. He is also liable for further costs incurred following the appeal.
McGregor was not present in court yesterday, while Nikita Hand attended with supporters. She stated the appeal process caused her to be "re-traumatized repeatedly," forcing her to relive the experience. However, Hand also expressed relief at being able to begin healing and moving forward.
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Nikita Hand speaking after attending the appeal hearing on 31/7. Photo: CC |
Nikita Hand speaking after attending the appeal hearing on 31/7. Photo: CC
One of McGregor's lawyer's main arguments was that the jury heard him answer "no comment" nearly 100 times during police questioning in the initial trial. McGregor's lawyer argued this could have led the jury to misinterpret his attitude and reach an unfavorable conclusion.
However, the judges stated McGregor's legal team "failed to demonstrate a real risk of an unfair trial." They also noted McGregor had the right to request a stay of proceedings if he felt his rights were affected, but his side did not do so.
Another point of appeal concerned the wording of a question on the jury document. The question read: "Did McGregor assault Nikita Hand?", instead of specifying "sexual assault." McGregor's side argued this wording could have misled the jury.
The judges declared it "completely unrealistic" to suggest any jury member could have misunderstood the question's meaning. They affirmed there was no possibility of confusion, as the entire context of the trial and the evidence clearly indicated the case involved sexual assault.
McGregor initially planned to present new evidence from Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins, former neighbors of Hand. They claimed to have seen her arguing with her former boyfriend around the time of the incident, suggesting her bruises could have come from him, not McGregor.
McGregor's side unexpectedly withdrew this new evidence before the appeal hearing. The judges called this "puzzling" and said a significant part of the appeal "had been regrettably abandoned." Consequently, McGregor must bear additional costs related to this part of the appeal.
James Lawrence, who was accused of raping Hand along with McGregor, also filed a separate appeal regarding legal costs. Although the jury found him not guilty of assaulting Hand, Lawrence still had to pay legal fees. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, upholding his financial responsibility.
Immediately after the 2024 verdict, several commercial partners cut ties with McGregor. Some fashion and food products bearing his name were removed from distribution in Ireland and the UK.
McGregor has not competed since breaking his ankle and losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His plans to return to the UFC over the past two years have been repeatedly stalled. This lost lawsuit further diminishes the likelihood of his return to the octagon.
Hong Duy
