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Conor McGregor, former UFC champion and one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts fighting, has been ordered to pay more than 250,000 Euros (approximately C$360,000) to a woman who accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in 2018.

McGregor, whose civil case played out in Ireland’s high court, must hand over the funds damages to Nikita Hand, who also goes by Nikita Ní Laimhín.

Hand previously said McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her on Dec. 9, 2018. The assault happened after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.

McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger.

Speaking outside the court after the two-week trial, Hand thanked her family and a member of the rape crisis centre, who sat at her side during the course of the trial, reports The Guardian.

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Referring to her daughter, she said: “I want to show Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person, is and justice will be served.

“To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice, and keep on fighting for justice.”

McGregor was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.”

During the trial, Hand’s lawyer told jurors that the fighter was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client.

“He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” lawyer John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.”

Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area.

She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel.

Hand said she told McGregor she didn’t want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn’t move.

McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “Now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said.

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Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again.

Eventually, he let go of her.

“I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified.

She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her.

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A doctor and paramedic who treated Hand following the rape testified, confirming multiple injuries consistent with her claims. The paramedic said she had never seen that intensity of bruising before.

Hand also alleged that another man, James Lawrence, who joined the party, sexually assaulted her. The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand.

McGregor has not fought since a July 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. It’s been more than eight years since he most recently held a UFC title, which was stripped from him for failure to defend.

Hand’s lawyer told the court that his client took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, after public prosecutors said a criminal conviction was unlikely due to insufficient evidence.

On X, McGregor wrote that he was disappointed jurors didn’t see all the evidence the prosecutors had reviewed.

— with files from The Associated Press

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.

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TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors have added Scottie Barnes and subtracted the point guard position from their starting lineup.

Barnes, wearing protective goggles with red frames, returned to the Raptors lineup on Thursday night for the first time since he fractured his right orbital bone on Oct. 28. To make space for the all-star forward in Toronto’s starting five, head coach Darko Rajakovic made the unorthodox decision of having no point guard.

That choice paid off with the Raptors earning a 110-105 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves for Toronto’s first back-to-back wins of the season.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that can ball handle, do a lot of different things out there on the floor,” said Barnes after the game, his right eye still completely bloodshot. “As long as we play our offence and do the right things, I feel like everything is going to go great.

“Get the ball over half court pretty fast, just try to run, and then get into what we usually run, our core sets, and then basically just play from there.”

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Rajakovic said during his pre-game news conference that Barnes would play limited minutes in his return from injury but the all-star forward was still effective, finishing with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds in 27 minutes of play.

His greatest impact was felt in the fourth quarter.

Barnes returned to the floor with 5:43 left to play and Toronto trailling by three points. He assisted on a three-pointer by Montreal’s Chris Boucher 23 seconds later, kicking off a 13-2 run that turned the game around for the Raptors.

“Scottie Barnes. Man, that was fun,” said RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont. “I think specifically for me personally, I think you kind of see when we were down and then just him being in the game, the energy that he brought (was huge).

“I just think everybody, all together, played great having Scottie in the lineup for us. He’s a special player.”

Barrett scored a game-high 31 points and had seven rebounds and three assists for Toronto (4-12). Jakob Poeltl had a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards, with Boucher scoring 22 points off the bench.

Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors starting point guard, was still out with a partially torn UCL in his left elbow. Davion Mitchell had been playing the point with Barnes out but because Mitchell is a defensive specialist Barrett had often led the team’s offence.

The Canadian’s strong performance as a playmaker gave Rajakovic the confidence to go with a no-point guard starting lineup.

“The amount of pick and rolls and situations that RJ was handling, and the way he handled playmaking and scoring just gave me more confidence that I can play with both (Barrett and Barnes), that they can share the responsibilities of a point guard,” said Rajakovic.

As far as Barnes is concerned, having no designated point guard actually plays to Toronto’s strength.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that can run, so we’ve got to run and get the ball out,” he said. “We’ve had that as a main emphasis since we started the season and we’ve just got to stick with that.

“We’re just doing the right things each and every day. We’re putting in a hard effort, working together collectively to try to get this W.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

TORONTO – Chants of “Jak! Jak! Jak!” could be heard coming through the doors of the Toronto Raptors’ locker room as Jakob Poeltl turned in another stellar performance in the best season of his career.

Poeltl had 30 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s 130-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday to end the Raptors’ seven-game losing skid. Those numbers boosted Poeltl’s stats this season to 17.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, both career highs.

His previous bests were 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021-22.

“It’s a little bit of throwback to college times,” said Poeltl, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds in his final season with the NCAA’s Utah Utes. “I’ve always prided myself on looking for my opportunities, playing winning basketball whatever role that may be.

“Right now, especially with the type of rhythm I’m having, the shots feel good, the floaters feel good. I feel like I can be productive out there.”

To call Poeltl productive over his past three games is an understatement.

He had 25 points and 18 rebounds in Toronto’s 99-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday and then had 35 points and 12 boards in the Raptors’ 126-123 overtime loss in Boston to the NBA-champion Celtics on Saturday.

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The stretch has been the strongest of his nine-year NBA career and one of the strongest of any players since he entered the league in 2016-17. He joins Nikola Jokic (x3), Anthony Davis (x2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (x2), Karl-Anthony Towns and Domantas Sabonis as the only NBAers to have three straight games of at least 25 points and 12 rebounds on 60 per cent shooting.

“What have you been seeing? Because I see a monster, so what have you been seeing?” said RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., whose game-high 39 points was the most a Canadian has ever scored for the Raptors. “He’s going crazy right now.

“We don’t get this win without Jak. We’re not in a lot of these games without Jak.”

Poeltl said he doesn’t feel like he’s changed his play style or mindset significantly, but that the injury-ravaged Raptors (3-12) have created more opportunities for him as they make him and Barrett the focus of their offence.

“There are situations when I’m catching in rhythm because I’m getting a couple of easy ones,” said Poeltl. “It feels more comfortable. I feel like I have more of a flow.

“It’s easier to just every now and then and maybe break out of a play if I feel like I see something or be more aggressive in certain situations. So maybe it’s that.”

Head coach Darko Rajakovic thinks it’s definitely a mindset change.

“He’s playing with more force, going downhill and trying to dunk in some of those situations,” said Rajakovic. “That’s a testament to his work.

“That’s a testament to everything that he did over the course of the summer and if he continues like this, we’re going to have another all-star player.”

Several Raptors remained out for the game, including all-star forward Scottie Barnes (right orbital fracture), starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL), veteran forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), backup centre Kelly Olynyk (lumbar strain) of Kamloops, B.C., and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter (right shoulder sprain).

Veteran centre Bruno Fernando (right ankle sprain) was added to Toronto’s inactive list Sunday.

That pile of injuries contributed to the Raptors’ losing skid but Poeltl said he and his teammates never got too down.

“We just couldn’t figure out a way to get over the hump,” he said. “Yes, obviously losing sucks and it’s not like we were in super-high spirits.

“I don’t know if you guys heard the celebration in the locker room. It was a little bit of a relief factor with it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.