Assault Accusations Put McGregor Among Controversial Fighters

Conor McGregor has found himself caught up in yet another controversy, joining a growing list of fighters who have been accused of assaulting women. 

The Irish Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) icon has recently been ordered by an Irish High Court to pay €250,000 ($257,000) to Nikita Hand after a sexual assault incident in a Dublin hotel. 

Compared to the EUR 1 million ($1.1 million) bet that the “Notorious” won after successfully predicting that Spain would win the European Football Championship 2024, the amount should not throw him off balance. 

Hand, an Irish hair colorist whom McGergor’s lawyer called a gold digger, claimed the fighter sexually assaulted her in 2018 after the two returned to his hotel room following a night out. 

Despite McGregor’s assertion that the encounter was consensual, the jury, after deliberating for six hours, found him liable for assault. 

The fighter, once the face of the UFC but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury, consisting of eight women and four men, deliberated the guilty verdict.

As he left the court, he was swarmed by cameras but chose to remain silent. Later, he took to X to announce his intention to appeal both the verdict and the “modest award.”

McGregor Joins List of Shame

McGregor is not the first fighter to face accusations of assault. 

Throughout the years, several notable athletes in combat sports have been implicated in similar offenses, from rape convictions to domestic assault allegations. 

Among them is Mike Tyson, who was convicted of raping an 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant in 1992. 

Tyson, who recently fought YouTube sensation-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul in what became the most heavily wagered combat sports event in recent memory, then served three years in prison. 

However, he continues to claim his innocence. In his 2013 autobiography, he wrote that “the consequences of her actions are something that she’s got to live with for the rest of her life.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr., another iconic boxer, has also faced multiple assault allegations.

Between 2001 and 2010, Mayweather was charged with various offenses, including domestic assault against his former partner, Josie Harris. 

In 2010, he was convicted of felony battery after attacking Harris over her relationship with NBA player C.J. Watson. 

This brought him a 90-day jail sentence, but only served one month.

Another former boxer, George Foreman, has also made headlines in recent years following a 2023 lawsuit in which three women accused him of sexual abuse. 

The women claim that Foreman abused them while they were minors in the 1970s. Foreman also denied the allegations while his attorney maintained that his client’s reputation will remain untarnished.

Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has also found himself under scrutiny in recent years. 

His fiancée, Shuntel Swift, filed a restraining order against him after accusing him of physically assaulting her multiple times, including in front of their children.

“The Bronze Bomber,” who has struggled in the ring recently, is facing legal battles that have added to the growing list of athletes involved in similar controversies.

Joe Frazier, a legendary figure in boxing history, was also involved in a domestic assault case in 2004 when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting the mother of his child. 

While the charges were eventually dropped after the victim refused to cooperate, the incident has remained a dark mark on Frazier’s otherwise celebrated career.