Report: Conor McGregor detained for attempted sexual assault, ‘vigorously denies allegations’

Conor McGregor has once again found himself in trouble with law enforcement. The former UFC champion was reportedly detained in Corsica — an island…

By: Karim Zidan | 3 years ago
Report: Conor McGregor detained for attempted sexual assault, ‘vigorously denies allegations’
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Conor McGregor has once again found himself in trouble with law enforcement.

The former UFC champion was reportedly detained in Corsica — an island in the Mediterranean Sea — for attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition.

“Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony MacGregor (sic) was the subject of a hearing by the gendarmerie services,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement confirming the UFC fighter’s arrest.

A representative for McGregor has since told TMZ that “Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusations of misconduct. He has been interviewed and released.”

McGregor’s manager Audie Attar made this statement to MMA Fighting:

“I am irate and putting out a warning loud and clear: Conor McGregor is not and will not be a target for those seeking to score a headline or a payday,” Attar said.

McGregor has a long history with law enforcement. On March 29, 2018, McGregor and several members of his entourage stormed the Barclays Center in New York and attacked two buses filled with fighters competing at UFC 223. Several fighters, including Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg, were injured during the melee and forced to withdraw from their scheduled bouts. As a result, McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. He eventually reached a plea deal and pleaded guilty to a single count of disorderly conduct. He was then ordered by the judge to attend anger management classes and commit to five days of community service.

McGregor was arrested once again in 2019 for smashing a stranger’s phone outside a nightclub. The incident was captured on video, as it appeared the stranger was a fan attempting to get a picture of the UFC fighter. However, the criminal charges were dismissed after the court found inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony.

In April 2019, McGregor once again made headlines when a video appeared to show McGregor punching an elderly man in the head at a pub in Ireland. He eventually pleaded guilty to assault in November 2019 and was fined 1000 euros.

Then on March 26, 2019, the New York Times published a report which revealed that Conor McGregor was under investigation in Ireland after a woman accused him of sexual assault in December 2018. According to the report, McGregor was arrested in January 2019 by law enforcement for questioning and was later released pending further investigation. The former UFC champion was not charged with a crime. The New York Times later followed up in October 2019 with a second report which revealed that the UFC fighter was under investigation for a second sexual assault allegation.

No other details have been given regarding the potential charges levied against McGregor in his latest incident.

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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