Woman sues MMA fighter Conor McGregor for 2018 sexual assault in Dublin hotel

A woman is accusing Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Conor McGregor of having sexually assaulted her in a hotel in Dublin, Ireland in 2018.

McGregor was at the High Court in Dublin on Nov. 5, 2024.

The case is expected to last two weeks, Associated Press reported.

Nikita Ní Laimhín, 35, a hairdresser in Dublin, is claiming civil damages against McGregor and another man by the name of James Lawrence, alleging she was sexually assaulted by them about six years ago.

McGregor's lawyers claim that Ní Laimhín is attempting extortion via the civil lawsuit, The Guardian reported.

The alleged victim was named as she has no automatic right to anonymity, it was added.

The New York Times first reported the allegations back in 2021.

Back then, McGregor's spokesperson had denied the allegations, noting that Irish police had investigated the case and declined to bring criminal charges.

What allegedly happened

The court heard that McGregor had collected Ní Laimhín and her friend after a Christmas party on Dec. 8, 2018.

Ní Laimhín and McGregor had apparently known each other for a long time, having come from the same area with mutual friends.

At the time, she was living in a suburb in Dublin with her partner and seven-year-old daughter.

Ní Laimhín's lawyer told the court that McGregor was regarded as a hero in that suburb, and was enormously famous.

The lawyer also claimed that Ní Laimhín was “no angel” and “doesn’t pretend to be an angel”, noting that she had been drinking and had taken some cocaine the night she went out with McGregor.

The court also heard that she suffered from depression and had been on antidepressants at the time.

Physically coerced, placed in chokehold

Later on Dec. 8 night, Ní Laimhín, McGregor, his security team and others went to a penthouse suite in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin.

McGregor allegedly went into a bedroom and asked Ní Laimhín to join her.

Apparently, McGregor wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, though she did not want to do so as she was on her period.

Ní Laimhín's lawyer told the court that McGregor then pinned her down and subjected her to a "violent and vicious assault".

The lawyer claimed that McGregor had pressed her down and injured her.

He then flipped her over and put her arms in a lock, before drawing her up by the neck such that she could not breathe.

McGregor allegedly did this three times, and in the course of doing so told her:

"Now you know what it was like to be in the octagon when I went down three times."

It is alleged that Ní Laimhín had sex with Lawrence later that night, though her lawyer claimed that she had no recollection of that occurring.

Suffered extensive bruising, was "very upset"

Ní Laimhín later went home and visited her mother, who called the ambulance.

The court was told that she was shaking and in pain as she was taken to the hospital.

Daniel Keane, a gynaecologist and a forensic examiner in sexual assault cases, was working in the emergency department at the hospital when Ní Laimhín was brought in.

Keane detailed extensive bruising across Ní Laimhín’s face, arms, fingers, forearms, knuckles, legs, lower back and buttocks.

She also had a 9cm scratch on her left breast.

Keane testified that the degree of bruising on Ní Laimhín was "highly unusual".

Ní Laimhín was also wearing a tampon which had been "wedged inside", requiring Keane to use forceps to extricate it.

Keane added that Ní Laimhín was "very upset", and was "shaking and crying".

He told the court that hospital staff got a blanket for her to sit on due to the pain she was in.

Ní Laimhín apparently told Keane that the alleged attacker had her by the neck and stopped her from breathing.

She also told him that she did not fight him any more and thought he was going to kill her.

Top photo from Conor McGregor/Facebook.