Conor McGregor Loses Appeal in Civil Rape Case, Ordered to Pay €1.5M in Damages and Legal Costs

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has lost his appeal in a high-profile civil rape case stemming from a 2018 incident at a Dublin hotel. The Irish MMA star was found civilly liable last year for the rape and assault of a woman at the Beacon Hotel, and has now failed to overturn the verdict on all five grounds of his appeal.

The woman, who accused Conor McGregor of brutally raping and battering her in a penthouse suite in December 2018, was awarded €248,603.60 in damages following a jury decision. McGregor was also ordered to pay approximately €1.3 million in legal costs, bringing the total financial consequence to more than €1.5 million.

In his defence, Conor McGregor in the rape case claimed the encounter was consensual. However, the jury sided with the plaintiff, ruling that Conor McGregor was civilly liable for the assault. His appeal challenged several aspects of the trial, including the admissibility of “no comment” statements made to Irish police (Gardaí), and newly introduced testimony from a former neighbor of the woman who claimed to witness a physical altercation between the plaintiff and her then-partner around the same time.

However, Conor McGregor’s legal team dramatically withdrew that particular ground of appeal earlier this month, significantly weakening their case. The appeal continued based on other technicalities related to trial conduct and evidence presentation, but ultimately, a three-judge panel at Ireland’s Court of Appeal found no merit in the arguments.

Mr Justice Brian O’Moore, speaking on behalf of the panel, stated, “I therefore dismiss the appeal in its entirety,” signaling the end of the road for McGregor’s legal efforts to reverse the civil verdict.

Also dismissed was a separate appeal by Conor McGregor’s co-defendant, James Lawrence. While the jury found James Lawrence had not assaulted the woman, the trial judge denied him reimbursement for his legal fees. Lawrence’s legal team argued that the plaintiff should be responsible for those costs, but the Court of Appeal rejected the claim.

Neither UFC’s Conor McGregor nor James Lawrence was present in court for Thursday’s ruling.

The case has reignited conversations around athlete accountability, celebrity privilege, and the difference between criminal and civil justice. While Conor McGregor has not faced criminal charges in this matter, the civil trial’s outcome has had significant reputational and financial implications for the controversial fighter.

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This is not the first time McGregor’s behavior outside the octagon has landed him in court. From public altercations to assault charges, his legal troubles have often dominated headlines alongside his sporting achievements.

With his court appeal now dismissed, Conor McGregor’s legal options in this case appear to be exhausted, though it remains to be seen whether he will issue a public statement in the wake of the ruling.

The outcome stands as one of the most consequential legal defeats in McGregor’s career — a ruling that underscores the weight of civil litigation even for public figures accustomed to avoiding legal repercussions.