Final Conor McGregor rape case appeal plea rejected: accuser

He was also ordered to cover the estimated 1.5 million euros legal cost

DUBLIN:

Ireland's top court has rejected a final plea by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor to appeal a civil damages award for rape, the woman who successfully sued him said Thursday.

Nikita Hand, who last year was awarded almost 250,000 euros ($290,000) after alleging that McGregor, 37, raped her in a Dublin hotel in 2018, called it a "victory" for "all of those who have been treated as I have".

McGregor's first appeal was rejected in July, and Thursday's reported Supreme Court decision to uphold last November's original judgement brings the long-running civil case to an end.

His plea for a final appeal was rejected as his legal team had not raised any new or compelling arguments not yet considered during the case, according to Irish media.

The judges reviewing the request concluded that there was no merit to reopening the case, in effect leaving the original civil judgement in favour of Hand intact, they reported.

The court did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

"After seven years seeking justice, accountability and peace I am pleased to say that the Irish civil justice system has allowed my voice to be heard," Hand said in a statement.

She added the "public and private roads that I and my loved ones have travelled have been long and painful".

Last year the court heard allegations that McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her.

The Irish sports star -- who despite the ruling was welcomed to the White House earlier this year for a Saint Patrick's Day visit -- has insisted they had consensual sex.

McGregor was also ordered to pay the entire costs of the case, estimated at around 1.5 million euros ($1.75 million).

Nicknamed "The Notorious", McGregor is one of the biggest stars in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts circuit, formerly holding the featherweight and lightweight titles.

The Irishman was separately sued in a US court in January, accused by an American woman of sexual assault at an NBA game in Miami in 2023.

But the woman dropped the lawsuit earlier this month.

Last month, McGregor was handed an 18-month suspension after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period.

Because the suspension was backdated to begin in September 2024, McGregor will be free to fight again by March next year.