McGregor denies wrongdoing after civil sexual assault verdict ahead of UFC return

Conor McGregor is again publicly rejecting wrongdoing as he prepares for his UFC comeback, despite a Dublin High Court jury’s civil finding that he sexually assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. The court awarded Hand €248,603.60 in damages in November 2024, leaving the verdict in place as McGregor returns to the cage for UFC 329 against Max Holloway.

That distinction matters. The case was civil, not criminal, so the jury’s finding addressed liability and damages rather than a criminal conviction. McGregor has continued to say the encounter was consensual and has denied the allegations, positioning his return around his own version of events even as the legal record remains unchanged.

The bout is scheduled for July 11, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC says the main card begins at 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT, turning the fight into one of the sport’s biggest summer draws while the fallout from the case still shadows McGregor’s public image. Reports later said McGregor lost a Court of Appeal challenge in July 2025 and then failed in a further bid to take the case to the Supreme Court in December 2025, keeping the High Court finding intact.

The verdict also triggered business consequences. Proper No. 12, the Irish whiskey brand tied to McGregor, said it would no longer be associated with him after the ruling. Other commercial partners also distanced themselves, underscoring how damaging court outcomes can extend beyond the courtroom when a high-profile athlete uses media appearances to shape the narrative around a case.

Hand has described the ordeal as a nightmare and said speaking out was meant to show her daughter that justice can be served. Her case has become one of the clearest examples of how celebrity, combat sports and accountability collide when a star athlete faces a public legal finding and then returns to the spotlight without conceding fault.