Irishman Conor McGregor, world MMA star, was ordered Friday by a Dublin civil court to pay nearly 250,000 euros in damages to a woman accusing him of raping her in 2018. Conor McGregor, 36 years old, was accused of having “brutally raped and beaten” the complainant, Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel room. For his part, he affirmed that the sexual relationship was consensual.
After a trial lasting around ten days, the Dublin High Court ordered him to pay 248,603.60 euros to this woman, a sum which notably includes medical costs. Nikita Hand, 35, accused the martial arts star of pinning her on a bed and strangling her three times before raping her. During the trial, it was stated that she suffered, among other things, severe bruising to her wrists and pain in her neck.
The plaintiff bursts into tears during the verdict
She also accused another man, James Lawrence, of having sexually assaulted her in the same hotel, but she did not win her case on this subject. Nikita Hand burst into tears when the verdict was announced, telling the media that the trial had been “a nightmare” for her.
Conor McGregor, nicknamed “The Notorious”, is one of the world stars of the UFC, the most famous and profitable MMA league. He was present in court with his family and his fiancée Dee Devlin. During the trial, his lawyers accused Nikita Hand of trying to “extort” money from him.
The former featherweight and lightweight champion has not fought in the octagon since July 2021 due to a leg injury. Its resumption, planned for last June, was postponed. In 2020, the Irishman was the highest paid athlete in the world according to Forbes magazine, with 170 million euros in earnings.
