UFC fighter Conor McGregor found guilty of rape in civil court

Conor McGregor, former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion and one of the highest paid athletes ever, has been found guilty of rape. After a two-week trial, the civil court in Dublin has ordered him to pay 250,000 euros to the victim in damages.

The rape happened in December 2018 in a hotel in Dublin. The victim, Nikita Hand, offered enough evidence to convince the jury, including medical reports of the injuries she suffered.

The victim says McGregor choked her after she refused to have sex with the UFC fighter. Doctors said she had "moderate to severe" injuries, as read in RTÉ.

Initially, prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges. McGregor was then sued in a civil court by Hand who said she hopes the case would encourage other victims of assault to seek justice.

Despite McGregor being ordered to pay 250,000 euros for general damages, including financial damages after she was unable to work due post-trauma. The jury did not award aggravated or exemplary damages.

The judge also thinks that a different incident happened in June 2024, when masked men broke into Hand's home and stabbed her partner, is not related to the incident.