'I'm innocent' - Conor McGregor responds to Nikita Hand trial question ahead of UFC 329
by Robert Hynes · Irish MirrorConor McGregor claimed he is innocent when asked about the civil trial he lost over a year and a half ago ahead of his UFC return.
McGregor was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in November 2024 brought against him by Nikita Hand who accused him of rape.
Ms Hand was awarded almost €250,000 by a civil jury which found that McGregor had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel room. McGregor appealed the decision and tried to take the matter to the Supreme Court, but he was unsuccessful in doing so.
However, when questioned on the matter at the UFC 329 media day on Wednesday in Las Vegas, McGregor pleaded his innocence despite failing to get the decision overturned.
The 37-year-old faces Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night in what will be his first fight in five years.
"I'm an innocent man, and I'll stand for my innocence until the day I go out," said McGregor when asked if he understood why some people felt that he does not deserve to be on such a platform.
"That is still a situation where I fight. I continue to fight. I know the truth."
A jury comprising four men and eight women ruled in favour of Ms Hand, a former hair colourist from Drimnagh in Dublin, who alleged she was "brutally raped" by McGregor in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford on December 9, 2018.
The jury granted €248,603.60 in general and special damages - accounting for Ms Hand's loss of earnings since ceasing work - and her future loss of earnings. McGregor was also ordered to pay roughly €1.5 million in legal costs to Ms Hand.
Prior to his bout this weekend, Ms Hand condemned a recent appearance by McGregor on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after singer Pink also spoke out against it.
Pink posted: "You ask why women don't report rape? They do. But men still get platforms and are treated like celebrities."
Ms Hand reshared the post on her Instagram, adding: "These are the types of famous people we should be following. Famous women and men who support victims. Thank you Pink."
Ms Hand is preparing to release a memoir detailing her experience, scheduled for publication on September 22 this year.
The book will represent the first occasion she has discussed everything following the significant High Court case and McGregor's subsequent unsuccessful appeal.
McGregor spoke to the media for over 20 minutes on Wednesday on a range of topics and revealed he has abstained from sex ahead of Saturday's fight.
"I've practiced abstaining in this camp, it's the first time I've ever done it," he said. "Not any type of physical touch if you will and that's been intense. I'm excited to see what it brings on Saturday night. We're going to have a good night Saturday right across the board."
Fight week is set to look very different for McGregor in Vegas in terms of support, with very few Irish fans expected to travel to cheer him on.
When asked if he was upset at losing Irish supporters and if he wanted to win them back, McGregor responded by going on an anti-immigration rant.
Despite his issues away from the octagon in recent years, the former two-weight champion insists he has no regrets.
"I am thankful for the lessons I have learned. My job is to honour the position God has put me in, and to not disrespect it. And that's where I'm at. I'm thankful for the lessons I have learned."
McGregor spoke about God throughout the press conference and when asked if he could be anywhere in the world anonymously, he responded by saying: "Church."
He continued: "Go to church and just praise God. Get on my knees and praise our Lord. He's given me it all, and I'm forever on my knees in praise."
The Crumlin native also admitted he fell into the trap of fame and money following his 2017 boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather.
"2017, double-weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather banked and then I launch an Irish whiskey. I didn't drink heavily, if at all, in that time of my life.
"I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, there's thousands upon thousands of bottles in my garage. 'Sell this, Conor.' I'd leave my property with two bottles under my arm, and that was it—I was caught."
Despite his long absence from the octagon, McGregor's bout with Holloway is expected to shatter the UFC's gate record of $21.8 million, set at the Sphere in September 2024.