Report: Conor McGregor Accused of Sexual Assault

His retirement is unrelated, spokeswoman says
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 27, 2019 2:43 AM CDT
Report: Conor McGregor Under Investigation for Sexual Assault
In this Oct. 6, 2018 photo, Conor McGregor walks out of the arena after he was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas.   (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Conor McGregor is reportedly under investigation for sexual assault—but a spokeswoman says legal problems had nothing to do with him announcing his retirement early Tuesday. Sources tell the New York Times that the UFC superstar was arrested in his native Ireland in January after a woman accused him of assaulting her at a Dublin hotel. The sources say the 30-year-old McGregor, who has not been charged with a crime, was questioned and released pending further investigation. Irish law prevents the media from naming sexual assault suspects before they are convicted, and police in the country would only confirm that an "unnamed sportsman" was arrested Jan. 17.

Karen Kessler, a spokeswoman for McGregor's legal team, tells ESPN that the story has "been circulating for some time" and it's not clear why it's being reported now. "The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false," she says. "Should Conor fight in the future, it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work, and their dedication to the sport." UFC President Dana White tells the AP that McGregor's retirement "totally makes sense," especially since his whiskey business is thriving. "He has the money to retire, and his whiskey is KILLIN it," White says. "If I was him, I would retire too. He's retiring from fighting. Not from working." (More Conor McGregor stories.)

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