Conor McGregor’s verdict should make the football world think twice about dealing with him

“I want to show Freya and all the other girls and boys that if something happens to you, you can stand up for yourself, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be done. For all victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how scared you are, speak up, have a voice, and keep fighting for justice.

“I know this has greatly affected not only my life, my daughter’s life, my family and friends. And it is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

Nikita Hand narrowly made it through her statement outside the Dublin court, which had just ruled in favor of her claim that MMA fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in 2018 in a civil trial.

It was a reminder of the barriers faced by women who are victims of such violence. Hand’s strength and determination must have been extraordinary to report the attack at all, let alone to continue it to this point. Hand said she felt “let down” by Irish prosecutors, who did not bring criminal charges against McGregor.

The court was told that McGregor held Hand and put her in a ‘chokehold’ as he attacked her, and that the paramedic who treated her said she had not seen ‘someone so bruised’ for a long time, after she was admitted to a hospital. ambulance to a treatment unit for sexual violence.

Hand was awarded damages of just under €250,000 ($257,000). McGregor denied the allegations and has said he will appeal. He posted a lengthy statement on X, which he has since deleted. Another man appeared not to have attacked Hand.

The court was also informed of the impact the attack had on Hand’s life. She had to quit her job, her relationship with her then partner ended, she had to stop therapy sessions to help with the psychological impact because she couldn’t afford them, her mortgage was now in arrears and she had to leave her home after men broke in and stole her had stabbed a new partner. The judge ruled that this latest incident should not be considered by the jury as there was no suggestion that McGregor himself was involved.

This is all mentioned to highlight the effect of sexual assault on someone’s life, and it almost feels inappropriate to address the question ‘what does this mean for football?’

But McGregor has tried to immerse himself in football wherever he can, and has often been indulged in it.

Take the time back in October when he found his way onto the Emirates Stadium pitch, where apparently after taking part in a promotional event in London, he somehow managed to reach places in the stadium where even you typical hospitality ticket does not come. You.

He posed for a photo with Declan Rice and was filmed kicking and fighting with Bukayo Saka, who, to his credit, wasn’t exactly comfortable with the whole experience.

Arsenal did ask McGregor to leave the field of play and later made it clear they would review their safety procedures to ensure something similar did not happen in the future.

McGregor plays fights in the Emirates (Instagram)

McGregor was also in the stands during Arsenal’s away trip to Newcastle a few weeks later, appearing on British radio station talkSPORT.

He posed for photos with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, and was in regular online contact with Sergio Ramos. He was a guest at the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He has expressed his support for several clubs over the years, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. He has invested in his local Irish club, Lourdes Celtic, and has gained much publicity by claiming he was considering buying several teams, including United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Frankly, you get the feeling that many people in the game didn’t want any association with McGregor, even before last week’s ruling.

He has previously been accused of a range of violent crimes and has convictions for assault and disorderly conduct, but previously the main accusation you could level against McGregor legally was that he is an obnoxious, sometimes violent loser, and football has plenty of that.

Now a court has upheld allegations of one of the worst crimes a human being can commit. It is especially insidious because the sense of fear and intimidation that accompanies any accusation of sexual assault will be magnified in this case: McGregor is an extremely famous, influential and wealthy man with a large number of aggressive fans who do not need any encouragement to defend him and try to intimidate any perceived threat to him.

So now there is no excuse. From this point on, you can’t claim you don’t know anything about McGregor. If it wasn’t clear before that he was a damaging character that no one in football should be associated with, it is now.

(Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)