Conor McGregor on Monday expressed remorse in the wake of a jury determining that he raped a woman, although the UFC star didn’t direct that sentiment at his alleged victim while maintaining his innoncence.
McGregor’s comments, which he shared in a written post on X, came just three days after he lost a sexual assault civil case in Dublin. This past Friday, a 12-day trial concluded with a jury finding McGregor liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand after a night of partying in December 2018. The jury’s verdict included damages of approximately $250,000 awarded to Hand.
In the immediate aftermath, McGregor vowed to appeal the jury’s decision and on Monday, he reiterated that intention while saying he regrets cheating on his longtime fiancee, Dee Devlin, who is also the mother of his four children.
“People want to hear from me, I needed time,” McGregor wrote. “I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to (Hand’s) 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!”
Earlier Monday, the IO Interactive announced that McGregor’s character will be removed from the popular “Hitman” video game series in reaction to the jury’s decision. McGregor was added to the game as part of a downloadable add-on earlier this year. While the add-on will no longer be available, users who already purchased the content will still be able to play it.
As of this writing, the UFC and Dana White have remained silent on the jury’s ruling since Friday. No other brands associated with McGregor, outside of IO Interactive, have dropped McGregor.
McGregor, 36, hasn’t competed in the UFC since a July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier in which he suffered a gruesome broken leg. McGregor was scheduled to return to the cage against Michael Chandler this past June at UFC 303, but he was forced to withdraw after breaking his toe in training a month before the fight.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Conor McGregor issues statement on sexual assault civil trial loss: ‘I should have shut the party down’
