Conor McGregor under investigation after sexual assault accusation
UFC superstar Conor McGregor is in legal trouble again.
The former two-division champion is under investigation after a woman accused him of sexual assault in his native Ireland, according to a report Tuesday in The New York Times.
McGregor, who announced his retirement from MMA in a late-night tweet just hours before the story broke, has not been charged with a crime
The 30-year-old was arrested and questioned in January after the woman accused him of assaulting her in December at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. The investigation is ongoing.
Stories about the incident first surfaced in the Irish media late last year, but McGregor was not formally named as the suspect.
UFC officials said they are aware of the story, but declined comment as they gather information on the report.
Late Monday, McGregor announced his retirement from the UFC.
“I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition,’’ he wrote on Twitter. “I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”
The last part of the statement was in reference to his Proper No. 12 whiskey brand.
“This story has been circulating for some time, and it is unclear why it is being reported now,” Karen Kessler, a spokesperson for McGregor’s New York-based legal team, said in a statement first published by ESPN. “The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false. Should Conor fight in the future, it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work and their dedication to the sport.”
McGregor has made more headlines outside the cage than in it over the past two years.
He was arrested last April in New York for attacking a bus containing UFC fighters and staffers at an event in New York. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
McGregor also was arrested this month in Miami for stomping on the cellphone of a fan who was attempting to take his picture outside a nightclub. Charges of robbery and criminal mischief are pending.
His meteoric rise in the sport included generating massive paydays with some of the biggest events in UFC history, becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold belts in two weight classes and participating in a blockbuster crossover boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather.
McGregor currently is suspended from competition for his role in a postfight brawl after a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October at T-Mobile Arena.
McGregor discussed plans to return to the cage in July during an appearance on Monday’s episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that was taped last week.
His retirement tweet was posted shortly after the episode aired.
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