McGregor’s response to the sexual assault accusation was brief before turning to his UFC 257 main event vs. Dustin Poirier.
UFC star Conor McGregor addressed the recent civil lawsuits against him by the woman who accused him of sexual assault, albeit briefly.
At Thursday’s UFC 257 press conference in Abu Dhabi, MMA Junkie’s John Morgan asked the former two-division champion for comment on the lawsuits and whether it’s affecting his focus ahead of Saturday’s rematch vs. Dustin Poirier.
“You know, it’s old news,” McGregor said. “It was investigated thoroughly over the course of two long years, and I was cleared of any wrongdoing. And that’s it.”
“So much positivity in my life,” he continued. “I’ve got a great challenge ahead of me on Saturday night and I’m very excited to get in. I’ve put in an immense amount of work to get my frame correct at 155, to get my conditioning [right]—I want to answer questions here and I hope Dustin can bring it to me and we can have a good fight.”
On Tuesday, the New York Times confirmed that this lawsuit stems from an alleged sexual assault in Ireland back in December 2018. McGregor was arrested and brought in by police for questioning but was never formally charged after an investigation. The woman is seeking a sum of $1.79 million to $2.13 million as part of the civil suit.
Incidentally it should also be noted that fans in attendance at the press conference booed John Morgan’s question and then subsequently cheered McGregor’s answer. It’s the first time that fans have attended a pre-fight presser since the UFC 249 press conference last March, when ESPN’s Marc Raimondi was booed loudly for asking Dana White about any fears that the coronavirus would have an impact on its event schedule.
Survivors of sexual assault can find support via the following organizations:
US – Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)’s National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also has an online chat service.
Love is Respect, 1-866-331-9474. They can also be reached via online chat or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.
End Rape on Campus (EROC), 1-424-777-EROC (3762).
Canada – Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, 1-877-232-2610.
UK – UK Says No More.
Rest of the World – International Rape Crisis Hotlines.