- Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering serious injury against Dustin Poirier
- Former UFC champion was found liable in a civil sexual assault case last week
A longtime rival of Conor McGregor has called for a fight with the Irishman just days after he was held liable in a civil sexual assault case.
McGregor appeared in court in his native Ireland accused of ‘brutally raping and battering’ 35-year-old Nikita Hand at a hotel in Dublin in 2018.
Last Friday he was ordered to pay nearly €250,000 (£208,000) in damages after a jury found him liable of assaulting Hand.
The former two-weight UFC champion has vehemently denied the claims, and released a statement on social media indicating that he will look to appeal the verdict.
He wrote on X: ‘As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath. I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.’
McGregor also stated that he intends to return to combat sports imminently, and UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has offered himself as a potential opponent for his comeback fight.
Conor McGregor was ordered to pay damages after being accused of rape in a civil case
Michael Chandler claimed ‘the best thing’ McGregor can do is begin preparing for a return to the Octagon against him
The pair were slated to face off earlier this year before McGregor had to withdraw through injury
‘It’s a horrible position for all around, for everyone involved,’ Chandler said on the Ariel Helwani Show.
‘The best thing he can do, most likely, is to get back moving towards a common goal. Why not fight me? Why not be training to fight me?’
Chandler had previously called for a fight with McGregor after his defeat by Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.
The pair have long been slated to meet inside the Octagon, and they coached The Ultimate Fighter season 31 against one another last year.
The showdown was eventually scheduled for the main event of UFC in for June.
Fans began to speculate on the fight’s status after a press conference was abruptly called off and the UFC subsequently officially cancelled the bout after it emerged McGregor had suffered a broken toe in training camp.
The first man to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes in the UFC, McGregor remains one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in MMA.
However, he hasn’t fought since 2021 when he suffered a broken leg in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
