Conor McGregor cancellation begins in wake of jury finding

Conor McGregor’s fall from grace has commenced in the wake of his civil trial in which he was found liable for assaulting a woman in 2018.

Conor McGregor has been dropped by video game developer IO Interactive following the verdict in his civil rape case.

The UFC superstar was last week found liable to have assaulted a woman - Nikita Hand - at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

UFC 310: MUHAMMAD VS RAKHMANOV | SUN 8 DEC 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

McGregor, 36, was accused of “raping and battering” Ms Hand, an accusation he’s vehemently denied, The Sun reports.

And the ruling at Dublin’s High Court has prompted IO Interactive, the developers of the beloved Hitman video game series, to end their relationship with the Irishman.

A statement from Hitman’s official X account read: “In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately.

“We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications.

“Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today.”

Conor McGregor in Hitman World of Assassination. Image: IO Interactive.

IO Interactive has become the first brand associated with McGregor, who is a character in the ‘Hitman: World of Assassination’ game, to publicly cease relations with him following last week’s verdict.

Former two-weight world champion McGregor has been ordered to pay Ms Hand £206,000 (A$420,000) in damages.

‘The Notorious’ shook his head before burying it in his hands after the jury deemed him liable of assaulting Ms Hand after just over six hours of deliberation.

He refused to speak to the media on his way out of the court with fiancee Dee Deviln but vowed to appeal the verdict on X shortly afterwards.

Mixed martial artist Conor McGregor (L) and Dee Devlin attend his birthday celebration at Intrigue Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas early July 10, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas)

“I will be appealing today’s decision,” he wrote.

“The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages.

“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed.

“I am with my family now, focused on my future.

“Thank you to all my support worldwide.”

McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the UFC octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

- This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Conor McGregor cancellation begins in wake of jury finding