Conor McGregor has withdrawn his application for fresh evidence to be introduced as part of his appeal of the November 2024 ruling that he was civiilly liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
The court heard that Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins, two former neighbors of Hand, swore affidavits claiming they heard a row between Hand and her then-partner on the night of December 9, 2018, after the assault by McGregor had taken place.
Hand denied that her former boyfriend ever assaulted her.
According to RTÉ News, Mark Mulholland KC, acting for McGregor, said in Dublin's Court of Appeal on Tuesday that he was withdrawing the evidence partly on the basis that there was no legal authority to bring in other evidence supporting the claims made by O'Reilly.
Judge Isobel Kennedy said the court did not understand the basis for withdrawing the evidence.
Mulholland said the lawyers had looked at the case holistically and now were of the view that there was no corroboration of O'Reilly's evidence, and it was not a sustainable ground.
Judge Kennedy said the court would allow the withdrawal of the application to bring in fresh evidence, noting that there was no point in forcing McGregor to bring forward a motion he had no interest in proceeding with.
Acting for Hand, Senior Counsel John Gordon said in court on Tuesday that his client was owed an apology for what was done to her in the last few months in the media and in affidavits before the court, which the witnesses were now withdrawing.
Mulholland said this would be done through McGregor's solicitor, if appropriate.
Gordon also said he should then be allowed to refer the matter for perjury to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
While the fresh evidence is being withdrawn, McGregor's appeal is going ahead based on the previous grounds of appeal - including a challenge to the trial judge's ruling allowing the jury to hear that McGregor had replied no comment to more than 100 questions during garda interviews.
Another ground relates to the question asked of the jury in relation to their verdict – they were asked whether McGregor had assaulted Hand. The question did not specify sexual assault – even though the judge clearly said rape was the assault they were dealing with.
Hand's civil case against McGregor began at Dublin's High Court on November 5.
In the case, Hand alleged that McGregor and another man, James Lawrence, both had sex with her twice, without her consent, in a Dublin hotel on December 9, 2018.
McGregor and Lawrence denied the allegations against them, labeling Hand a "gold digger" and a "fraud."
On November 22, the Dublin jury ruled that McGregor had assaulted Hand but that Lawrence did not.
Hand was awarded damages of €188,603.60, plus €60,000, a total of €248,603.60. McGregor has additionally been ordered to pay Hand's legal costs, estimated at up to €1.5 million.
In February, the former MMA fighter launched his appeal against the civil court's ruling.
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