Conor McGregor has issued a public statement after losing a civil assault case and being forced to pay more than £200,000.
The public apology speaks to his partner, Dee Devlin, who McGregor proposed to in 2020 after more than 10 years of being together.
McGregor was alongside partner Dee Devlin at court to hear the verdictCredit: PA
They have been together for more than 15 yearsCredit: getty
“People want to hear from me, I needed time,” McGregor said via X on Monday night.
“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.”
The jury delivered its verdict at Dublin’s Hight Court on Friday after the claimant, Nikita Hand, accused McGregor of raping her in a hotel.
Hand said she was 𝑠e𝑥ually assaulted in Decemebr 2018, accusing the former UFC champion McGregor of ‘brutally raping and battering’ her.
Speaking after his defeat on Friday, McGregor said he would be appealing the decision and added he was ‘disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence’ reviewed.
The 36-year-old was ordered to pay Hand €248,603.60 (£206,556.03) in damages, before leaving court with his partner Devlin.
Hand took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, her barrister had told the court, after the director of public prosecutions (DPP) decided not to pursue a criminal case on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
“As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath,” McGregor added. “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!”
McGregor lost to Khabib Murmagomedov two months before when the allegations come fromCredit: Getty – Contributor
McGregor is one of the most well known athletes on the planet following his success in the UFC and is worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
He became the first fighter in Dana White’s promotion to hold two titles simultaneously after defeating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to be crowned the new lightweight champion.
Broadcaster Adam Catterall joined talkSPORT’s Drive show and explained to hosts Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent the Irishman’s legal case in greater detail.
He believes the case is ‘reputationally horrific’ for McGregor, who he doesn’t see a way back for in terms of a future fighting career.
“The case that is in question is a civil case,” he said. There’s a difference between a civil case and a legal case.
“Originally the DPP in Ireland thought that there wasn’t enough evidence in order to take this particular case to a legal case.
‘The Notorious’ hasn’t fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in 2021Credit: Getty
“Hence this now being a civil case where the lady in question, the claimant, took Conor McGregor to a civil court case of which he has lost that civil court case.
“She was accusing him of course of 𝑠e𝑥ual assault and he now has to pay damages up to a quarter of a million euros to her.”
The jury sat through eight days of evidence, including from Hand, McGregor and James Lawrence, who Hand also accused of 𝑠e𝑥ual assault but lost to, as well as doctors and two paramedics.
Hand’s allegations come from a period two months after McGregor lost a highly anticipated lightweight bout to Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“This is reputationally horrific,” Catterall added. “In my opinion, It’s reputationally horrific. He works with a lot of brands, he has a lot of brands himself.
“Obviously he still believes that he’s got some sort of fight career. I’m sure the fans have all got an opinion on what’s happened today and only time’s gonna tell of how that is going to affect.
“I’m sure over the next couple of weeks you’re going to start to hear about share prices of various things that he’s connected with, whether they’ve gone up, whether they’ve gone down.
“I would imagine that they’ve gone down because of the things that he has obviously been accused of and lost that civil case today.
“I’m sure everybody has the same opinion that they’re abhorrent and that is going to have a massive effect on his reputation.
“…I think even without this, I was of the thought process that McGregor’s time within competition, serious competition, in the MMA world was very unlikely.
“This makes it probably even more unlikely.”
McGregor has not fought in the octagon since breaking his leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021, but has made numerous public appearances since to promote his various business ventures.
The Irishman is a part owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and attended one of its events in Newcastle earlier this November.