Conor
McGregor is living up to his vow to challenge the ruling that
went against him in a civil lawsuit late last year.
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According to a report from BBC, McGregor
filed an appeal of the verdict that found him
civilly liable for sexual assault against Nikita Hand in Irish
courts this past Friday.
In November, the Dublin High Court found that McGregor sexually
assaulted Hand in 2018 and ordered the former two-division
UFC champion to pay more than $250,000 in damages. Because it
was a civil trial, McGregor did not face criminal charges in the
case. He denied the sexual assault accusations during the trial and
after the verdict, claiming that it was a consensual encounter.
“People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made
mistakes,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted post on social media.
“Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I
should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on
the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me. As much
as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual
and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath.
“I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision. I can’t go
back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family,
friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my
side. That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym — the fight game
awaits!”
As a result of the verdict, McGregor was
dropped by some sponsors, most notably Proper No. 12 Whiskey —
which he sold to Proximo Spirits in 2021. Earlier this year, the
Irishman was
sued over an alleged sexual assault that occurred at a 2023 NBA
Finals game. Video also recently surfaced where McGregor
appears to spit on a fan who taunted him regarding his loss to
Khabib
Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas.
McGregor has not competed in combat sports of any kind since
breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin
Poirier in July 2021. His Octagon return was officially
announced for UFC 303
last June, but he pulled out of a proposed clash against Michael
Chandler due to a broken toe on the week of the fight. However,
McGregor has been quite visible as a co-owner of Bare Knuckle
Fighting Championships, and he vowed that he will eventually fight for that
organization during a press conference in Italy. In the meantime,
there appears to be no timetable for his return to the UFC.