Conor McGregor Begins Appeal Against Dublin Civil Assault Verdict

Conor McGregor is appealing a civil court ruling that found him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel penthouse in December 2018, with the jury previously awarding her over €248,000 in damages. McGregor has maintained that the encounter was consensual and sought to introduce new evidence suggesting that bruises on Ms. Hand could have been caused by a physical altercation with her former partner; however, his legal team withdrew this evidence amid allegations of perjury and concerns about its credibility. The appeal also challenges the judge's instructions to the jury and the handling of McGregor's 'no comment' responses during Garda interviews. Ms. Hand denies any altercation with her former partner and has criticized the attempt to introduce damaging allegations against her reputation. The Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to charge McGregor criminally after reviewing the evidence. The appeal is currently underway in the Irish Court of Appeal, with Ms. Hand present at the hearing.