With the 2025 Irish presidential election looming and UFC megastar Conor McGregor aiming to stay in the public’s good graces, a major legal setback has arrived. On Thursday, the Ireland Court of Appeal officially dismissed the Irishman’s appeal against the civil jury verdict that found him liable for assaulting a woman named Nikita Hand.

A panel of three judges upheld the original ruling issued by the Dublin High Court and struck down every argument presented by Conor McGregor’s legal team. The court deemed there were no valid grounds for a retrial, calling it an “important and contentious” case. The court officially rejected Conor’s attempt to overturn the civil judgment and ordered him to pay €250,000 (approximately $285,000 or £216,000) in damages.

The case stems from allegations made by Nikita Hand, who claimed that Conor McGregor assaulted her at a hotel in December 2018. While the Irishman has consistently denied the accusations, a jury of eight women and four men ruled in Hand’s favor in November last year. In response to the verdict, McGregor filed an appeal in February.

However, the court rejected Conor McGregor’s claims when proceedings resumed on Thursday morning. From the start of the appeal hearings on July 1, his legal team approached the case with increased caution. Most notably, on the first day, the Irishman’s lawyers withdrew their earlier motion and asked the court for permission to exclude new evidence from his defense.

Matt Brown gives brutal advice to Conor McGregor following court loss in Nikita Hand case

Matt Brown has given his advice to Conor. Yet, even Brown finds it difficult to watch ‘The Notorious’s image fall apart—especially considering he once dominated the spotlight as the UFC’s biggest star. For nearly four years, McGregor has stayed out of the cage, not due to injury, but because of endless controversies and his wild party lifestyle, which continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

What makes his downfall even more dramatic is how disciplined he used to be. Conor McGregor once preached restraint, famously declaring, “Party is weakness for the soul.” But that version of him has vanished. These days, he parties his way through the world’s hottest clubs. And now, with the Nikita Hand verdict delivering a serious blow to his public image, the consequences seem to be catching up fast

Commenting on Conor McGregor’s situation and the possibility of redemption, Matt Brown didn’t hold back. He said, “Conor is going to be in a sh-t storm here… I don’t think this is unsalvageable, but he has to be the one to salvage it. No one’s going to be the one to save him in this situation. The UFC can’t save him. He has to do the right things. Get the fck out of the clubs. Put down the straws and get back in the gym.”

Still, McGregor being McGregor, the chaos hasn’t stopped.