Report: Conor McGregor Being Investigated By Police in Ireland For Sexual Assault Accusation
UFC star Conor McGregor is reportedly being investigated in Ireland after a woman accused him of sexual assault in December, according to the New York Times.
McGregor has not been charged with a crime but was reportedly arrested in January, per the Times. A formal charge does not always immediately follow an arrest Irish criminal investigations. McGregor was questioned by law enforcement and released pending further investigation. The allegations have not been proven.
The case has been reported on since news of the assault broke late last year but McGregor was not previously named by Irish media. Laws in Ireland restrict local media from identifying individuals charged with rape unless they are convicted but McGregor has not been charged.
The woman making the allegation said the altercation occurred at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. McGregor is reportedly an occasional guest at the hotel and most recently visited in December.
A lawyer for McGregor in Dublin did not respond to the Times' request for comment.
Karen Kessler, a spokesperson for McGregor, issued a statement Tuesday.
"This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now," the statement said. "The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false. 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."
McGregor announced his retirement from UFC in the early morning hours on Tuesday. The latest retirement marks the second time in three years that McGregor has verbally concluded his time in the Octagon.
McGregor has been the subject of several recent run-ins with the law. The 30-year-old MMA fighter was charged with assault and criminal mischief in April 2018 after he attacked a bus at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn. McGregor pleaded no contest to a count of disorderly conduct.
The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion was also arrested in Miami on March 11, 2019 for allegedly stealing and smashing the phone of someone trying to take his photo. He was charged with robbery and criminal mischief.
McGregor's last fight was a loss in October against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. He was suspended for six months and fined following a post-match brawl.
