After it was found responsible for a sexual assault in 2018 UFC superstar Conor McGregor has taken a few more public hits in a civil trial in Dublin, but the Irish star has now broken his silence.
McGregor went to Xformerly Twitter to once again assert innocence in the case of the attack on Nikita Hand, to whom the jury awarded approximately $258,300. McGregor took responsibility for cheating on his long-time partner Dee Devlin with Hand, but maintained his stance that the situation was consensual.
“People want to hear from me, I needed time,” McGregor wrote. “I know I made mistakes. six years ago I should never have responded to their requests. I should have closed the party. I should never have left the woman I love most in the world. That’s entirely up to me.”
“As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual, and all witnesses present swore so under oath. I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.”
McGregor then turned his attention to claims that he would return to the UFC Octagon, where he has not fought since back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021.
“I cannot go back and will move forward,” McGregor wrote. “I am extremely grateful to my family, friends and supporters around the world who have stayed by my side. That's it. No longer. Back to the gym – the fight game awaits!”
In response to the jury's decision, McGregor saw some interests outside the cage suffer a setback.
Video game developer IO Interactive announced it would stop all sales of content featuring McGregor, who appeared in his likeness and voice work in the popular “HITMAN World of Assassination.”
Similarly, major Irish retailers such as Tesco, SuperValu, Centra, Costcutter, Carry Out, BWG Foods and others have decided to stock Proper No. Discontinuing Twelve Irish Whiskey, the brand that McGregor sold to Proximo Spirits in 2021 but which still exists, referred to McGregor in its branding and marketing, as well as Forged Irish Stout, which McGregor owns.
Promixmo Spirits has since released a statement saying: “We do not plan to use Mr. McGregor's name and likeness in marketing the brand in the future.”
McGregor has said he has instructed his legal team to appeal the recent court decision.
