Without a doubt, right now in 2025, Conor McGregor is among the most famous UFC fighters out there, and that’s just his talent, strength, and, of course, his skills. But right now, he is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, actually. See, there is this Conor McGregor Hand Lawsuit going on. And for those who have little to no idea, this is a case filed against McGregor because of some assault allegations, and the case is still ongoing, so let’s just get to the details here.
What Happened in 2018?
Nikita Hand went to the Christmas party in December 2018 in Dublin. After the holiday party, the group moved into the Beacon Hotel with Conor McGregor, James Lawrence, and a few others. Hand stated that McGregor attacked her: he pinned her down and choked her with his bare hands. She sustained injuries resulting in bruises and scratches, and pain in the neck. A paramedic who examined the injuries later referred to them as severe ones.
As per the claims of this case and the details that are already out, it really left its mark on Hand’s life, too, besides just the physical ones. Hand mentioned that her entire life was turned upside down as a result of that night; she quit her job, battled with her psychological health, and had money problems as she was unable to pay her mortgage.
The Civil Trial in 2024
In November 2024, the situation was brought before the Dublin High Court. The matter at hand was a civil dispute, so the issue at stake was whether McGregor was responsible to Hand in any way by way of compensation.
Having heard evidence for eight days, the jury found McGregor liable for assault. However, James Lawrence was acquitted. The jury awarded Hand damages in excess of €248,000 (or approximately £206,000) to cover her pain, medical costs, and damages to her lifestyle.
She said that she wished her case would be the reason that other people would speak out, no matter who their adversary is. McGregor was very unhappy with the verdict, and he announced that he would appeal without any delay.
The Appeal in 2025
McGregor’s lawyers appealed the High Court decision, alleging that the jury had been asked the wrong questions and that such evidence was prejudicial. For instance, jurors were told repeatedly that McGregor had said “no comment” during police questioning; his counsel argued that such information cast a negative impression against him.
From the very start of this case, McGregor’s team wanted to call two new witnesses: Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins, former neighbors of Hand. Both witnesses would have testified that Hand’s injuries could have been caused by her ex-boyfriend rather than McGregor. Well, and we don’t know why, but in an abrupt change of heart, the defense decided to withdraw the witnesses, which the judges called “mysterious” and said it bolstered Hand’s credibility.
The appeal was dismissed. The continued application of the original decision meant that McGregor had to pay the highest legal costs under Irish law. Hand said it was a difficult appeal for her, but that she had been really grateful for the support she received throughout the process.
The New Lawsuit in 2025
In August 2025, Nikita Hand initiated a new legal action that was aimed at McGregor, along with the two witnesses, O’Reilly and Cummins.
One of her allegations was that they disseminated incorrect information, thereby implying that she was injured by someone else. Besides that, she maintained that they unlawfully used the judicial system by filing those false claims. The court was informed that the issues were significant enough, and in fact, the judges sent points from the case to the authorities for possible lying under oath.
As a result, McGregor was not only managing costs and damages arising from the lawsuit, but he had another legal case to deal with besides all of that.
