Context:

Conor McGregor's civil appeal against a finding of sexual assault was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Dublin. In November, McGregor was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages to Nikita Hand, who accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor's appeal argued that his repeated 'no comment' responses during police interviews should not have been presented to the jury and that the issue paper should have specified 'sexual assault'. The judges found no merit in these grounds, noting that the jury could not have been confused by the terminology used. McGregor was absent from the court during the ruling, while Nikita Hand was present with supporters, expressing gratitude for the support she received throughout the process.

Dive Deeper:

• Conor McGregor was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages to Nikita Hand following a civil jury's finding that he sexually assaulted her in 2018 at a Dublin hotel.

• McGregor's appeal challenged the inclusion of his 'no comment' responses during police interviews as part of the jury's deliberations, claiming they could lead to an unfair trial.

• His legal team also contended that the issue paper for the jury should have specified 'sexual assault' instead of just 'assault', arguing that this lack of specificity could cause confusion.

• The Court of Appeal dismissed the argument, stating it was unrealistic to think the jury misunderstood the nature of the allegations against McGregor.

• McGregor's attempt to introduce new evidence from witnesses claiming alternative causes for Hand's bruises was withdrawn before the appeal hearing.

• Nikita Hand, who attended the hearing with supporters, expressed feeling overwhelmed by the support she received after pursuing legal action against McGregor.

• The appeal dismissal reaffirms the original ruling, rejecting all grounds presented by McGregor's legal team and maintaining the decision of the lower court.