Conor McGregor, the UFC fighter, will not face charges in connection with a sexual assault allegation arising from an incident at an NBA finals game in Florida last June. Prosecutors have
informed the BBC that the case against Mr. McGregor has been dropped.
The accusation against McGregor involved claims of "violent" sexual assault in a VIP bathroom at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The unidentified accuser also alleged that arena security played a role in facilitating the attack by confining her within the restroom.
The 35-year-old Irish fighter vehemently denied the allegations, and his legal representative expressed his satisfaction that the matter has come to a close.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the state attorney's office confirmed to the BBC that the case had been dismissed.
The alleged incident occurred during Game 4 of the NBA finals last year, featuring the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
In a letter uncovered by the BBC last year, the woman's attorney asserted that security personnel from the NBA and Miami Heat had forcibly directed her into a men's bathroom before the purported sexual assault by McGregor. The letter also stated that the woman managed to extricate herself from the bathroom but had to plead with security personnel to retrieve her purse, left behind during the incident.
Security footage subsequently surfaced, showing McGregor and the accuser entering the bathroom together.
Barbara Llanes, McGregor's lawyer, shared that the UFC star and his family are "pleased this is now over." She further explained, "After a thorough investigation, including a review of videos and interviews with eyewitnesses, the authorities have concluded that there is no case to pursue against my client, Conor McGregor." Llanes reiterated that this decision aligns with McGregor's account of the events that transpired that evening.
It's worth noting that McGregor has not participated in a UFC fight since he suffered a leg injury during a bout against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Recently, he took a significant step toward his return to the sport by re-entering the United States Anti-Doping Agency's testing program. While he was expected to face Michael Chandler this year, he must undergo six months of testing before resuming competitive action, which is now anticipated to occur in 2024. Photo by Andrius Petrucenia on Flickr (Original version), Wikimedia commons.