'I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe': MMA star Conor McGregor's alleged rape victim shakes and wipes away tears in court as she describes 'chokehold attack' in hotel
Daily MailNov 05
MMA Fighter Conor McGregor Loses Civil Sexual Assault Case
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Above: Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor (center) and his partner Dee Devlin (left) leave the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, after the personal injury case against him on Nov. 22, 2024. Image copyright: Brian Lawless/Contributor/PA Images via Getty Images
The Facts
A civil jury at the Irish High Court in Dublin, Ireland, ruled on Friday that mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor sexually assaulted plaintiff Nikita Hand in a hotel in December 2018.
Unlike in a criminal case, jurors in this trial were told to decide on the balance of probabilities — meaning that they had to determine whether allegations were more likely to have been true than not, rather than being satisfied beyond reasonable doubt.
The Spin
Narrative A
It took a lot of courage for Nikita Hand to step up and file a long-shot civil rape case against a powerful man such as Conor McGregor — who, in his prime, was a national hero in Ireland. That courage has paid off, offering hope for victims of sexual violence and showing that this is a fight worth continuing.
Narrative B
This guilty verdict is a travesty of justice that, unsurprisingly, is in line with the desire of the Irish establishment to defame McGregor and neutralize his rise as the voice of the voiceless. Despite witnesses and CCTV footage telling a completely opposing chain of events, people are happy to smear this Irish hero as a rapist and even though this wasn't a criminal court verdict.
