A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel has won her claim against him for damages in a High Court civil case.
A jury found that the mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
He has been ordered to pay her more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.
McGregor had faced an accusation that he "brutally raped and battered" Ms Hand at a hotel in south Dublin in December 2018.
The Irish sports star previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel. He said he intends to appeal the verdict.
Ms Hand, 35, cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters as the result of the case was delivered.
Speaking outside the courtroom she said she hoped her case will remind victims of assault to keep “pushing forward for justice”.
She said: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be: Speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.
“I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
“Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter.”
Asked if she felt vindicated following the jury’s decision, she said: “Yes, I do. Thank you.”
Ms Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, lost her case against another man, James Lawrence, who she accused of assaulting her by allegedly having sex without her consent at the same hotel.
Following eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches and the judge's charge, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with its verdict.
McGregor shook his head after the jury read out that Ms Hand had won her case against him.
The case, which opened on November 5, had previously heard that on the day of the attack, Ms Hand and her work colleague Danielle Kealy went to the penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.
They had given evidence of how they had been partying all night from December 8 and into the morning of December 9, and had been heavily drinking and taking cocaine.
Ms Hand, a mother-of-one, told the court how McGregor had pinned her to the bed in the hotel bedroom before assaulting her.
During her evidence to the court, Ms Hand said she thought she would never see her young daughter again when the MMA star was "choking" her.
The court heard that as she was being attacked, she "froze and couldn't move or breathe".
She said she had held up both hands and had tried to get away from him, but said the more she struggled, the more he appeared to like it.
"The only thing I could move was my head. I bit him but I can't remember where. He didn't like it, so he flipped me around and put his arm around my neck and choked me," she said.
Ms Hand was left with extensive bruises and abrasions over her body, including purple and blue bruising along her hands and wrists, a bloodied scratch on her breast and tenderness on her neck after she said she was placed in a "chokehold" by Mr McGregor.
Mr McGregor denied he caused the bruising across her body, saying they could have been caused when she "swan dived" into the bath in the hotel room.
The court heard how Ms Hand suffered serious physical and psychological injuries as a result of the attack by McGregor and that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Ms Hand was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital the following day where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit (SATU).
A paramedic, who examined Ms Hand the day after the assault, had told the court she had not seen "someone so bruised" in a long time.
Dr Daniel Kane, who works as a gynaecologist as well as a forensic examiner in sexual assault cases, explained how he had to use forceps to remove the tampon which had been "wedged inside".
Ms Hand broke down several times as she gave evidence for almost three days and sought a number of breaks.
The jury had been told how Ms Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser and has not been able to work since due to her mental health, that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident, she had to move out of her home in Drimnagh, and her mortgage is now in arrears.
She also said she had to stop seeing a counsellor because she could no longer afford to pay for the sessions.
The court also heard that she has spent more than 4,000 euro on GP, pharmacy and psychotherapist costs.
McGregor was accompanied in court by his family, including his partner Dee Devlin, parents, sister and brother-in-law.
He sat in the back row of the court, between his partner and mother, Margaret.
A number of police were in the courtroom as the verdict was delivered.
