Multiple US news outlets reported Thursday that Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the NBA Finals in Miami last week. According to ESPN and TMZ Sports, McGregor “violently” assaulted the woman in a washroom at the Kaseya Center during the Miami Heat’s game four loss to Denver on Friday.
The UFC fighter, 34, allegedly “aggressively kissed” his accuser before attempting to compel her into various sex acts. McGregor’s attorney, Barbara Llanes, refuted the claims in an email to AFP. “The allegations are false. Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated,” Llanes said in the statement.
Meanwhile, Miami police would only state that its special victim’s section was looking into a case filed on Sunday. “This is an open investigation so no additional information can be released at this time,” a Miami Police Department statement to AFP said without mentioning McGregor by name.
The Miami Heat and the NBA both stated that they were aware of the reports and were looking into them.
“We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation,” the Heat said in a statement. “Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.”
McGregor’s behavior at Friday’s game had already been called into question
McGregor’s behavior at Friday’s game had already been called into question following an incident during a break in which he attacked a Miami Heat mascot after appearing on the court for a pre-planned commercial spot. The mascot costumed individual was afterward brought to a nearby hospital for medical care before being released later that evening after obtaining pain medication.
McGregor is one of the most well-known global stars in the history of the wildly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts circuit, having previously held the featherweight and lightweight crowns.
He has been in several high-profile pay-per-view events, most notably the 2017 crossover boxing match in Las Vegas versus Floyd Mayweather, which produced more than $600 million in total revenue and paid the former plumber’s apprentice from Dublin almost $100 million.
