Two people have been arrested in Ireland as part of an investigation into perjury charges following a failed civil suit appeal from Conor McGregor, who, late last year, was found liable for allegedly assaulting a woman.
A man and woman in their 30s were arrested by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) on Thursday, per a recent report from The Irish Times. They can be held at the Dublin Garda for up to 24 hours for questioning, the report states. Their exact identities have not been disclosed.
Allegations of potential perjury arose following an unsuccessful appeal from Conor McGregor, who looked to overturn a 2024 civil suit which found him liable for assaulting Irish hairdresser Nikita Hand in late 2018.
The case included graphic allegations of rape and other forms of violence, causing significant mental and physical damage to Hand, which has left her unable to work for years.
McGregor was ordered to pay €248,000 in damages to Hand.
Former UFC star McGregor hoped to introduce new evidence as part of his appeal earlier this year. Most striking of all the evidence was the new allegation that a couple who lived next door to Hand witnessed her engage in a physical altercation with her partner the same night that she had come into contact with McGregor.
The goal of this evidence was to put forward a new narrative as to how doctors found significant bruising on Hand the following day.
However, testimony from the couple was abruptly withdrawn before the appeal officially started. This move caused Hand’s legal team to apply for the incident to be investigated by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for perjury, which has been considered a criminal offence since 2021.
While seemingly still welcomed in the MMA world with open arms, McGregor hasn’t been too focused on a return to competition following his latest legal run-ins. Instead, McGregor has been running a social media campaign to become the President of Ireland, posting online frequently about his high hopes in the new career.
