Irish Court Upholds Civil Rape Ruling Against Conor McGregor, Orders €1.5M Costs

Conor McGregor has lost his appeal against a civil court ruling that found him liable for raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018, with the Irish Court of Appeal dismissing all grounds of his challenge. McGregor was initially ordered to pay Hand nearly €250,000 in damages plus about €1.3 million in legal costs, and his appeal sought to introduce new evidence from witnesses who claimed to have seen an altercation involving Hand and her former partner, which might explain bruising on her body. However, McGregor's legal team withdrew the application to admit this new evidence, and the court criticized this decision as mysterious and contentious. Following the appeal dismissal, Hand announced her intention to sue McGregor and two others for malicious abuse of court processes, alleging further harm caused by their legal actions. Hand described the appeal as retraumatizing but expressed hope to move on and encouraged other survivors to seek justice. McGregor, a former UFC star and political figure in Ireland, continues to face significant legal and financial consequences stemming from this case.