CONOR APPEAL VOW
Conor McGregor vows he will appeal rape civil case verdict and admits ‘mistakes & regrets’
Former two-weight world champion McGregor was ordered to pay Ms Hand £206,000 in damages
CONOR McGregor has vowed to appeal his rape civil case verdict.
The UFC superstar was last week found liable to have assaulted a woman - Nikita Hand - at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018.
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McGregor, 36, was accused of "raping and battering" Ms Hand, an accusation he's vehemently denied.
Last night, he again vowed to appeal the High Court's decision but expressed his "regret" over "mistakes" made.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the former UFC champion wrote: "People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes.
"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.
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"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!"
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The Irish sports star - who arrived hand in hand with his partner Dee Devlin - previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand, 35, in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.
The jury, eight women and four men, deliberated for just over six hours before returning their verdict on Friday afternoon.
They found that McGregor did assault the mum-of-one on a Christmas night out.
Former two-weight world champion McGregor has been ordered to pay Ms Hand £206,000 (€250,000) in damages.
'The Notorious' shook his head before burying it in his hands after the jury deemed him liable of assaulting Ms Hand after just over six hours of deliberation.
Earlier in the case, McGregor denied Ms Hand's allegations and claimed they had "enthusiastic and athletic" sex.
The Irish sports star was shown photos of bruises on Ms Hand's body taken in the days after the alleged assault.
Under cross-examination, McGregor denied causing the bruises, saying they "possibly came from her diving into the bath".
Ms Hand's barrister highlighted how a tampon had to be removed from her using forceps in hospital when she attended after the alleged rape.
Does Conor McGregor have any chance of continuing UFC career?
FORMER UFC champion Conor McGregor was found to have assaulted a woman who accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel, a civil court jury found on Friday.
The 36-year-old was accused of "brutally raping and battering"; Nikita Hand in December 2018.
He will now have to pay Ms Hand 248,603.60 euros in damages.
Despite losing his case, McGregor has vowed to appeal.
The Irishman's future in MMA and UFC is now in doubt. He hasn't been in the octagon since July 2021 when he broke his leg and was stopped against Dustin Poirier.
Here's what SunSport's chief MMA reporter Chisanga Malata had to say about the situation...
"The ruling, which came in a civil court, not a criminal court, has given the UFC arguably its biggest-ever headache in its 31-year run. MMA chiefs will now have to make a major decision over their poster boy.
"Personally, I think he fights again. There is a precedent for it. Just look at the man who fought Jake Paul last week.
"Of course, I'm talking about former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who was sent to jail in the 1990s for rape. He came out and he had a successful career after that, making millions upon millions of pounds before retiring in 2005.
"Sadly, there is a precedent for it. But the UFC now has a massive decision to make. As I said, I think he fights again. I think they stick to the plan that was announced last week at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference and they have him fight late 2025.
"Perhaps they said late 2025 in anticipation of this ruling not going McGregor's way and giving some time for this to blow over - even though something of this magnitude can never, ever blow over.
"I believe McGregor will fight again barring a sensational decision from Dana White and all the investors and they axe their poster boy. But I just don't see that happening and I do see him returning to the octagon late next year.
"Questions will have to be asked of the UFC and rightly so. But more so of the man himself, Mr McGregor."
McGregor hasn't set foot inside the UFC octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
And his lucrative visits to the United States have been put at risk after the civil jury ruled him guilty.
McGregor — who also has numerous business interests in the United States — remains at home as boss weighs up plans for his return to the octagon.
But his future plans could be thrown into turmoil if Homeland Security refuses to grant him a “business and tourism” visa after the High Court ordered McGregor to shell out thousands in damages.
And the ruling at Dublin's High Court has also prompted IO Interactive, the developers of the beloved Hitman video game series, to end their relationship with the Irishman.
McGregor's voice featured as The Disruptor in the game Hitman.
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A statement from Hitman's official X account read: "In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately.
"We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications.
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