McGregor sued over alleged sexual assault in '23

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her after an NBA Finals game in 2023 has filed a civil lawsuit against the former UFC star.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, also alleges the staff and security of the Kesaya Center, the home arena of the Miami Heat, committed gross negligence.

The woman, who is described in the lawsuit as a 49-year-old resident of Miami-Dade County who works as a vice president on Wall Street at a "high profile financial institution," alleges McGregor sexually assaulted her in a bathroom in the arena after Game 4 of the Heat's NBA Finals series against the Denver Nuggets on June 9, 2023.

The civil suit stems from the same criminal sexual assault allegation against McGregor filed in June 2023. An incident report was filed with the City of Miami police department on June 11, 2023 at 6 p.m., less than 48 hours after the alleged sexual assault happened. The Florida State Attorney's Office declined to go forward with charges in the alleged assault in October 2023.

"After a thorough investigation at the time, the State's Attorney concluded that there was no case to pursue," McGregor's attorney, Barbara Llanes, said in an emailed statement to ESPN. "Almost two years and at least three lawyers later the plaintiff has a new false story. We are confident that this case too will be dismissed."

McGregor, now 36, also denied the allegations in 2023, when Llanes told ESPN that the former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion "will not be intimidated."

The lawsuit seeks medical treatment costs, compensatory damages and other relief from the Heat and McGregor as deemed reasonable.

The woman's attorney, Jim Dunn, wrote in an email to ESPN that his client is pursing the civil case to "raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault."

"My client has thought long and hard about the decision to pursue this civil case, and is fearful of the effect it may have on her job on Wall Street," Dunn said. "Nonetheless, her main goal in filing this suit is to raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault."

The complaint, which was filed Tuesday in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, alleges McGregor "intentionally engaged in unlawful sexual contact" without the woman's "consent or permission."

After the Nuggets-Heat game, the lawsuit alleges McGregor and the woman began talking in the Courtside Club inside Kesaya Center. An acquaintance of the woman said she and the woman were leaving, when a member of McGregor's team is alleged to have told the woman that "Conor told me to come get you," and then grabbed the woman by the wrist. She alleges she asked to be let go and was told, "No, Conor will kill me if I lose you."

The lawsuit alleges McGregor grabbed the woman's hand or wrist in front of the men's restroom and led her into the restroom, and that her acquaintance followed her. The woman was then allegedly led into a stall, where the lawsuit alleges Kesaya Center security and/or staff would not allow the acquaintance to follow. McGregor then assaulted the woman inside the stall, according to the lawsuit.

Dunn told ESPN in a separate phone interview that his client filed the civil lawsuit because it is "the only avenue she has to pursue justice," after Miami-Dade County decided not to go forward with charges. The statute of limitations in a civil case alleging gross negligence is two years.