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‘I am an innocent man’: Conor McGregor responds to criticism about UFC return after sexual assault civil lawsuit

Published

3 months ago

on

‘I am an innocent man’: Conor McGregor responds to criticism about UFC return after sexual assault civil lawsuit

Conor McGregor once again proclaimed his innocence after he faced criticism for making his return to action at UFC 329 following a civil lawsuit in Ireland where he was found liable for a sexual assault that allegedly took place back in 2018.

As he prepares to face Max Holloway on Saturday, McGregor was asked about the backlash he's faced at home after a jury found him liable following a lawsuit filed by a woman named Nikita Hand, who accused the former UFC champion of assaulting her in a Dublin hotel. The jury sided with Hand and awarded her damages totaling £206,000 ($271,742.84).

McGregor appealed the verdict but that was also shut down by the courts.

“I am an innocent man,†McGregor said during UFC 329 media day. “I'll stand for my innocence until the day I go out. This is still a situation where I fight. There's a reason it didn't go where it went and went to a civil trial. It is what it is. It stings deep. I continue to fight.

“I know the truth. I know that lying lips are an abomination to the lord. I know that anything done in darkness will soon come to light. I trust in god that it's coming. You best believe it's coming and I look very, very forward to the day.â€

Police investigated the claims but criminal charges were never filed against McGregor.

Hand ultimately filed a civil lawsuit instead, and during testimony, she claimed that the UFC superstar “raped and battered†her during the alleged incident.

When he took the stand, McGregor claimed that the acts with Hand were consensual and while the sex was “athletic, physical,†he denied assaulting her.

While McGregor continues to vehemently deny the allegations against him, the 37-year-old fighter admitted on Wednesday that his life spiraled out of control after he achieved so much success inside and outside of combat sports.

In 2016, McGregor became the first ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion and that led to a massive boxing match being booked against Floyd Mayweather where he reportedly earned around $100 million for the fight. That was also when McGregor launched his Proper No. 12 whiskey brand, which he eventually sold alongside his partners in 2021 to Proximo Spirits for a reported $600 million price tag.

“Obviously. 2017, double weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather banked and then I launch an Irish whiskey,†McGregor said. “I didn't drink heavily at all in that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, there's thousands upon thousands of bottles in my garage.

“[They'd tell me] sell this, Conor. OK, I'd leave my property with two bottles under my arm. That was it. I was caught. That's it.â€

McGregor says in recent years he's cleaned up his act and devoted himself to faith and family, which put him back on track to resume his fighting career.

“God gave me these lessons, that's it,†McGregor said. “I was trapped and caught. It is what it is. I trust in God. I trust in my journey and I trust in the truth. If the world is against the truth, then I am against the world. That is where I stand.â€

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MMA

Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses

Published

4 hours ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses
Joaquin
Buckley remains undeterred after his third consecutive defeat
in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Buckley faced Mike Malott in the Canadian's home country at

UFC Edmonton on Saturday. Malott landed a knee in the second
round and followed with a punch before the referee stopped the
bout. Despite the setback, “New Mansa†remains optimistic about his
future.

Joaquin Buckley plans to document his rebuild after Mike
Malott’s UFC Edmonton knockout

Buckley won six straight fights before his current skid. He now
plans to livestream his efforts to rebuild, inviting fans to follow
the process.

“Right now, we rebuilding and I want y'all to see the process, not
just the results,†Buckley wrote in the caption of his postfight
Instagram post. “The highs, the lows, and everything it takes to
become who God called me to be.â€

In the accompanying video, Buckley said he wants to share his
training and introduce fans to his team.

“I realize that I want to document everything,†Buckley said. “I
want to document the process, I want to document the work, I want
to document the team. This is really just starting back over from
scratch; creating a new foundation and making something happen… I'm
not going to stop; I'm going to keep working. And I'll make sure
that everybody remembers that name.â€

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MMA

Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses

Published

4 hours ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses
Joaquin
Buckley remains undeterred after his third consecutive defeat
in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Buckley faced Mike Malott in the Canadian's home country at

UFC Edmonton on Saturday. Malott landed a knee in the second
round and followed with a punch before the referee stopped the
bout. Despite the setback, “New Mansa†remains optimistic about his
future.

Joaquin Buckley plans to document his rebuild after Mike
Malott’s UFC Edmonton knockout

Buckley won six straight fights before his current skid. He now
plans to livestream his efforts to rebuild, inviting fans to follow
the process.

“Right now, we rebuilding and I want y'all to see the process, not
just the results,†Buckley wrote in the caption of his postfight
Instagram post. “The highs, the lows, and everything it takes to
become who God called me to be.â€

In the accompanying video, Buckley said he wants to share his
training and introduce fans to his team.

“I realize that I want to document everything,†Buckley said. “I
want to document the process, I want to document the work, I want
to document the team. This is really just starting back over from
scratch; creating a new foundation and making something happen… I'm
not going to stop; I'm going to keep working. And I'll make sure
that everybody remembers that name.â€

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MMA

16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments

Published

22 hours ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments
Farid
Basharat is pushing back against suggestions that he was
difficult to work with.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White addressed Basharat's departure after
UFC Edmonton. White suggested there were reasons beyond the
unbeaten bantamweight's results for the decision not to renew his
contract, prompting a response.

Farid Basharat denies refusing UFC fights, cites Victor Hugo
weight miss and torn MCL

The UFC did not offer Basharat (16-0) a new contract despite his
7-0 promotional record. After White raised difficulties with
matchmakers and declined fights as possible reasons for such
departures, “Ferocious†reiterated that he had never turned down an
opponent and cited instances in which he competed under unfavorable
circumstances.

Basharat pointed to his victory over Victor Hugo, who weighed 145.5
pounds for their originally scheduled bantamweight bout in 2024 —
9.5 pounds above the non-title limit. He also said he competed with
a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee during his
Dana White's Contender Series appearance in 2022.

“He kind of alluded to, maybe I was turning down fights, or maybe I
was difficult to deal with,†Basharat said on Instagram. “I
definitely didn't turn nobody down. In fact, we're talking about
the same guy that, in Abu Dhabi, I fought in 2024; my opponent
missed weight by 10 pounds and I still went ahead with the fight…
Still put on a good show and won. In my Contender Series fight, I
had a torn MCL, still went ahead with the fight… These are facts
you can ask your UFC staff; you can ask the physio team.â€

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