A jury ruled in favor of a woman who accused UFC superstar Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in December 2018.

The High Court in Dublin ordered McGregor to pay the complainant 248,000 euros, or approximately $257,000.

The jury had been deliberating on the case since Thursday. McGregor, who denied the allegations and said he had consensual sex with the accuser, is not currently facing criminal charges over the incident.

According to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, the woman told the High Court that she met McGregor at a Christmas party in Dublin. She accused the former two-weight UFC champion of forcing her onto a bed, choking her and making her fear for her life. A paramedic who treated the woman’s injuries the next morning told the court he had never seen such intense bruising on a victim, according to BBC News.

The woman’s lawyer, John Gordon, said she never pretended to be a saint and went looking for a good time that turned into a nightmare. Gordon said McGregor was angry about a fight he lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client.

“He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” Gordon told jurors. “A cunning coward and you must treat him as he is.”

The woman had to take several pauses in her emotional testimony as she said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter.

McGregor put her in a chokehold several times and later told her, “Now you know how I felt in the Octagon, where I tapped three times,” referring to an Ultimate Fighting Championship when he had to admit defeat, she said.

She said she was afraid she would die and never see her daughter again.

“He let me go and I remember feeling sorry because I felt like I had done something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again” , she said. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he sexually assaulted her. Police investigated the woman’s complaint, but prosecutors declined to file charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.

McGregor said the two had sex that was athletic and vigorous, but not rough. He said, “She never said ‘no’ and never stopped,” testifying that everything she said was a lie.

“It’s a complete lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold accusation. “How anyone could believe that I, as a proud person, would highlight my shortcomings.”

McGregor’s lawyer told jurors to put aside their animosity toward the fighter.

“You may actively dislike him, some of you may even dislike him – there is no point in pretending the situation could be different,” said attorney Remy Farrell. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.”

Ultimately, the jury of eight women and four men condemned his version of the event.

McGregor said in a statement that he will appeal.

I am appealing against today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award awarded were for assault, not for serious or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all of the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am now with my family, focused on my future….

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2024

The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was scheduled for a highly anticipated return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but withdrew in the weeks leading up to the event with an injured toe. He has been teasing the “greatest comeback” in sports history for years. He was 1-3 in his past four appearances, dating back to 2018.

McGregor has four children with his longtime fiancée, Dee Devlin.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.