Conor McGregor admits mistakes 'stepping out on Dee Devlin' but denies guilt in civil sexual assault case loss

In a fresh statement following the verdict of his civil trial against Nikita Hand, the Irish UFC fighter maintained that the encounter in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel in December 2018 was consensual and that he planned to appeal the decision.

Last week, the jury awarded Ms Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, €248,603.60 or £188,000, in total damages. The case, which began on November 5, detailed allegations against McGregor following the incident on December 9, 2018.

Ms Hand, a mother-of-one, testified that McGregor pinned her to a bed and assaulted her, as well as “choking” her. Ms Hand described extensive bruises and abrasions, including purple and blue marks on her hands and wrists, a bloodied scratch on her breast, and neck tenderness she attributed to being placed in a chokehold. She was later diagnosed with PTSD and continues to suffer from severe psychological trauma.

McGregor denied causing the bruising, claiming it could have occurred when Ms Hand "swan dived" into the bathtub in the hotel room.

On Monday night (November 25), he released a new statement on X, saying he is now keen to move forward and return to the UFC. However, despite not explicitly apologising to his long-term partner, Dee Devlin, he acknowledges that ‘stepping out on her’ was a ‘mistake’.

He wrote: "People want to hear from me, I needed time. 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."

"As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual, and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath. 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 and Devlin met in 2008 at a nightclub in Dublin, shortly after McGregor had left his plumbing apprenticeship to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.

McGregor proposed to her on her 33rd birthday in August 2020, as the couple announced their engagement on Instagram. The couple share four children together, Conor Jr. (born May 2017), Croía (born January 2019), Rían (born May 2021), and Mack (born 2023).