UFC star Conor McGregor is never far away from controversy. The Irish fighter is known for his quick fists and sharp tongue, but from Monday his name will also be associated with a case of sexual assault.
they determined he sexually assaulted her in a Dublin hotel
A High Court in Ireland has ordered the “Notorious” to pay €250,000 ($257,000) to Nikita Hand after they determined he sexually assaulted her in a Dublin hotel. Hand, an Irish hair colorist, claims McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her after they returned to his hotel room after a night out in 2018.
Despite McGregor’s argument that the sex was consensual, a jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after debating for six hours in the Dublin court.
The Mixed Martial Arts star is not the first fighter accused of assaulting women. Over the course of history, there have been a large number of athletes across a range of different combat sports accused and convicted of similar offenses. VegasSlotsOnline News has summarized some of them below.
Mike Tyson
1992
Mike Tyson made the VSO News headlines repeatedly over the past few weeks thanks to his controversial bout with YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul. The 58-year-old ultimately lost that bout last week, but in 1992 there was a lot more on the line for the New York-born boxer than just a fight.
At the peak of his fame in 1992, a 25-year-old Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old girl called Desiree Washington. The incident took place in an Indianapolis hotel room the year before. At the time, Washington was a college student and met Tyson at the Miss Black American beauty pageant.
the consequences of her actions are something that she’s got to live with for the rest of her life”
Despite Tyson’s claims of innocence, a court sentenced him to six years in prison. He was released after just three years and still maintains that he did not do the crime. “She knows it, God knows it, and the consequences of her actions are something that she’s got to live with for the rest of her life,” the boxer wrote in his 2013 autobiography.
In a now-infamous moment, Tyson lashed out at news anchor Nathan Downer after he brought up the rape conviction nearly 23 years later:
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2001 to 2010
Floyd Mayweather Jr is considered one of the best boxers in history, boasting a record of 50 wins to 0 losses in professional boxing. In his 20-year career, he secured 27 wins through knockouts while fighting in five different weight classes from super featherweight to light middleweight. But he is also well-known for another darker reason.
Between 2001 and 2010, there are several instances in which Mayweather has been charged with domestic assault. The first of those relates to Melissa Brim, the mother of his daughter. He punched her in the neck during an argument over child support in a Las Vegas mall. He received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to battery.
He was acquitted of punching and kicking Harris in 2005 after she claimed she lied to police
The remaining offenses all relate to the same woman, mother to three Mayweather children, Josie Harris. In 2003, he was accused of punching two female friends of Harris in a nightclub, with charges ultimately dismissed after negotiations. He was acquitted of punching and kicking Harris in 2005 after she claimed she lied to police. But in 2010, Mayweather was charged with multiple felonies after beating Harris over her relationship with NBA guard C.J. Watson. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail but released after a month.
George Foreman
1970s
Heavyweight boxer George Foreman retried with a staggering record of 76 wins and five losses in 1997, with 68 of those victories coming via knockout. However, his name has recently been making headlines again for all the wrong reasons.
In a 2023 lawsuit, three women accused the former heavyweight champion of sexually abusing them while they were children. Gwen Hunter and Denise Shipes are two of the accusers, claiming Foreman groomed them until they were 15 before turning their seemingly platonic relationships into sexual ones in the 1970s. The third victim, identified as Jane Doe, has shared a similar experience.
Foreman’s Attorney Shawn Holley has shared his stance, stating he “vehemently and unequivocally denies all allegations of sexual abuse or assault levied against him.” She went on to highlight Foreman’s “reputation beyond reproach” without a single accusation of improper sexual conduct prior to this point.
The case is still ongoing, with a California judge ruling in October this year that Foreman is unlikely to get the lawsuit trimmed.
Deontay Wilder
2015 to 2024
Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder is known for packing the most punch power in the entire heavyweight division currently. He went down in history for holding the division title from 2015 to 2020 before losing it in an epic trilogy of fights against Tyson Fury, in which he demonstrated his power by knocking the Gypsy King down multiple times.
Wilder is currently under fire after his fiancée accused him of physically assaulting her multiple times over the course of their relationship. Speaking earlier this year, she claimed that he attacked her at least ten times since 2015, including some instances in front of their young daughter and son.
Wilder continued to struggle in the ring, losing four of his past five fights
The accusations came out because Shuntel “Telli” Swift has now filed a restraining order against the boxer, ensuring that he remains at least 100 yards away from her and her daughter. Swift claimed that the issues arose as Wilder continued to struggle in the ring, losing four of his past five fights.
As part of the restraining order, Wilder is required to sell or turn in all his firearms to law enforcement. He has not yet commented on the situation publicly.
Joe Frazier
2004
American boxer Joe Frazier was a major name in the 1960s and 1970s, first winning a gold medal in the 1964 Summer Olympics before becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973. His most famous moments came in his three battles with Muhammed Ali, the first of which he beat Ali by knock down in the “Fight of the Century” in 1971.
found the mother of his child with injuries to her face
It wasn’t until 2004 that Frazier found himself in trouble over domestic assault. The then 60-year-old was arrested after police were called to his apartment and found the mother of his child with injuries to her face. The woman, who claimed Frazier had hit her, was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment.
The boxer ultimately avoided assault charges after prosecutors failed to get the victim to cooperate. They decided they could not proceed with the case against Frazier without her help. “We prosecuted this case as vigorously as we could,” a spokesperson for Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said.