Conor McGregor's business partner explains why he is standing by UFC superstar

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president Dave Feldman has explained why he has decided to stand by UFC superstar Conor McGregor after the Irishman was found liable of assaulting a woman who accused him of rape in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

The 36-year-old former two-weight UFC champion faced an accusation in the civil action that he “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand in December 2018 reports The Mirror UK. McGregor told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.

Ms Hand won her claim against him for damages in a High Court civil case. A jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning its verdict after days of listening to evidence and closing speeches. The former two-division champion was eventually ordered to pay Nikita Hand almost €250,000.

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McGregor stated he is keen to move forward with his life and return to the UFC, but intends to appeal against the decision. Last year, 'The Notorious' became a co-owner of BKFC - with the promotion's president opening up on the Irishman's recent troubles outside of the Octagon.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Feldman said: “Whatever may have happened, and whatever the accusation was, I’m not getting involved with that. What I’m getting involved in is: a guy that was with us – our partner, our friend – was kicked when he was down, and we’re not gonna kick him when he’s down. We’re gonna help lift him back up, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

“I believe that if you’re with somebody, you’re with them 100 times. My dad has a saying, ‘You can’t be 99 per cent loyal; you’re either 100 per cent or get out of here.’ You can’t be with someone 99 times, and the 100th time – when it goes wrong – you turn your back on them. You’re with them all the time. So if we’re with him, we’re taking a ride with him, and we’re going all the way with him.

“Some sponsors pushed back a little bit, but when I explained it to them the way I’m explaining it to you now, they kind of held on to it and they understood what I was saying.”

The 36-year-old has since been dropped from the Hitman 3 video game by producers IO Interactive while Proximo Spirits, who own Proper Twelve whiskey, have distanced themselves from McGregor. The Irishman has not fought since losing to long-time rival Dustin Poirier back in 2021. He was scheduled to return to the cage last year against Michael Chandler, but was forced to withdraw from the clash after suffering an injury just a few weeks before the bout.

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