Manager: Conor McGregor 'vehemently denies' sex assault allegation
In October, The New York Times reported that UFC fighter Conor McGregor is under investigation for a sexual assault allegation in his native Ireland.
A woman in her 20s accuses McGregor of assaulting her in a car outside of a Dublin pub, according to the report. As of the time of the report, McGregor had not been charged or interviewed in the case.
On Monday, McGregor’s manager Audie Attar spoke with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and denied the allegation while attacking “relentless” tabloids in Ireland.
McGregor ‘vehemently denies’ allegation
Conor McGregor's manager @AudieAttar says his client “vehemently denies any allegation of sexual misconduct or any wrongdoing.” (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/sZjOL8gayp
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 4, 2019
“He vehemently denies any allegation of sexual misconduct or any wrongdoing,” Attar told Helwani.
Attar’s statement echoes that of a McGregor publicist who chalked the accusation up to rumors after news of the allegation broke.
“Conor McGregor is frequently the subject of rumors,” a publicist told the Times in October. “He emphatically denies any report accusing him of sexual assault.”
Could legal trouble cause visa problems?
Attar addressed the issue with Helwani in context of the announcement that McGregor will resume his UFC career with a Jan. 18 bout in Las Vegas. McGregor announced the fight but did not name an opponent in a news conference in October.
While denying the allegation, Attar acknowledged that potential legal trouble could cause issues with McGregor obtaining a visa ahead of the scheduled fight.
“From a visa standpoint, we have to go through that process,” Attar continued. “Does that mean that we may not run into an issue or questioning during that process? I don’t know.”
McGregor’s legal issues
The October allegation facing McGregor is the second sexual assault allegation to surface against McGregor since March. McGregor is still waiting to hear if he faces charges after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Dublin hotel in December.
McGregor has gotten into other legal trouble in recent months. Police arrested McGregor in March after he allegedly stole and smashed a fan’s phone outside of a Miami Beach hotel.
McGregor pleaded guilty on Friday to punching an older man at a Dublin pub and was fined $1,116.16. He did not face jail time.
McGregor hasn’t fought since a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018.
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