The fallout from Conor McGregor’s recent legal troubles continues to send shockwaves through the MMA sphere. Last week, a Dublin civil court jury found him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand in 2018, awarding her €248,603 ($263002.38) in damages. And the case has already cost him more than just money.

Major brands, including Proximo Spirits and IO Interactive, severed ties with the fighter. Yet, as one chapter closed, another opened. In a separate lawsuit, Hand lost her case against James Lawrence, a friend of McGregor, who was also facing the same allegations as the Irish MMA icon. This twist has turned her partial victory into a precarious situation, as explained by solicitor, Terry Gorry.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the legal expert explained, “The Nikita Hand and Conor McGregor case was supposed to be hearing today about costs. So, the judge who heard or presided over the case was to decide the question of costs—who pays who.”

In civil litigation, the rule is simple yet ruthless. “Costs follow the event,” Gorry noted. “The losing party pays the costs of the winning party. It’s the common law position for many years. And that was put on the statutory footing in the last number of years in Ireland.” In other words, the victor’s spoils include having their legal fees paid by the loser, unless…

As per Gorry,

“A judge does have discretion to depart from that if he or she forms a view that the justice of the case merits departure from the usual rule.”“So, in this particular case involving Nikita Hand, Conor McGregor and James Lawrence, Nikita hand won against Conor McGregor and therefore the usual rule is Conor McGregor must pay Nikita Hand’ costs. However, Nikita Hand lost against James Lawrence. So the usual rule, if applied, is that Nikita Hand would have to pay James Lawrence’s costs and that would put her in a very, very difficult position. The hearing was to be today and the judge was to make a ruling on it. However, council for Nikita Hand went into the High Court and asked that the case would be put back for one week,” he further stated.

As per

The Irish Times, the issue of legal cost liability was due to be considered by Mr Justice Alexander Owens this Thursday. However, barrister Siún Leonowics, instructed by law firm Coleman Legal, asked him to delay the hearing by one week to December 5. Legal sources state that the legal costs for the parties could go up to around €1.5 million ($1586881.77). Interestingly, McGregor had mentioned during the trial that he’s paying for his friend’s legal cost. In that case, if Hand is actually required to pay Lawrence, that would put her in a pickle in ways more than one.But there’s a glimmer of hope. Judges have discretion in such matters, allowing them to deviate from the standard rule if justice demands it. Gorry further stated, “As I say, the submissions—the short submissions—on behalf of Nikita Hand’s team, I presume, will be along the lines of asking the judge or encouraging the judge to depart from the usual rule and to make a decision to meet the justice of this particular case and make some decision in Nikita Hand’s favor as to costs between Hand and James Lawrence…”

 Notably, a decision against the MMA fighter was reached after eight days of evidence submissions, three days of listening to close speeches and the judge’s comments

—including an additional six hours and 10 minutes the jury took to deliberate before returning with the verdict. A paramedic who had examined Hand a day after the alleged assault told the court that she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time. In the aftermath of the event, Nikita Hand was reportedly forced to leave her job as a hairdresser and is still struggling with work owing to mental health issue—she had to spend €4,000 (4231.20) in pharmacy and psychotherapy costs. Hand also had to move out of her home in Drimnagh, with her mortgage being in arrears now. 

McGregor, on the other hand, has continued to deny the allegations. After the verdict, he took to X to release an official statement on November 25:

“People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me.”

Having said that, fKhabibor Conor McGregor, the aftermath of this case may have repercussions far beyond the courtroom according to a former UFC ‘champ-champ’!

Daniel Cormier claims Conor McGregor’s troubles could have “long term effects”

Conor McGregor, the man who transcended the sport of mixed martial arts finds himself at a crossroads. After being found liable in a recent civil trial, Daniel Cormier recently opened up on what this may mean for the future of ‘The Notorious’! Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier stated, “For a guy of that stature to come from our sport and be tied to something as bad as this, it really does suck. There are going to be some long-term effects from this.”

While the former ‘champ-champ’ confessed that he is not leveling any judgments against McGregor, he further stated, “But with Conor, it seems like there has been more than one instance where stuff like this has come up. Like I said, I am not judging this man. I don’t know.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, has made his opinions loud and clear. After an X user posted, “The convict project will donate towards the legal fees of the victims of Convict McGregor,” and asked people to support the movement, the former UFC lightweight champ shared the tweet, and stated, “Good job guys , you have my full support, this guy deserve punishment”.

Islam Makhachev, on the other hand, wrote in a separate social media post, “It was a matter of time till this filthy b—- be exposed.”

But, as Cormier pointed out, McGregor’s stature in the sport makes his fall all the more impactful. The damage to his reputation and career might be long-lasting, casting a shadow over his achievements in the Octagon. While the legal process continues to unfold, with Nikita Hand’s case against James Lawrence adding further complexity, the question remains, can Conor McGregor rebuild from this and regain his position at the top of the combat sports world? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!