UFC star Conor McGregor is reportedly under investigation in Ireland for sexually assaulting a woman.
On Tuesday, The New York Times published a story about a woman who accuses McGregor of assaulting her at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin, where McGregor is an occasional guest. Irish news media first reported the alleged assault in late 2018 but did not identify McGregor by name.
The UFC did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the allegations. Karen J. Kessler, a spokeswoman for McGregor, told HuffPost the story “has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now.”
“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,” Kessler wrote in a statement, without addressing the allegations against McGregor.
Law enforcement arrested and questioned the 30-year-old in January, but released him pending further investigation. Authorities have not charged him with a crime.
The news of McGregor’s alleged sexual misconduct comes on the heels of his announcement that he’ll be retiring from the UFC.
“I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!” he tweeted Tuesday, referencing a whiskey brand he founded.
In Kessler’s statement to HuffPost, she indicated that McGregor’s retirement announcement isn’t related to “this rumor.”
McGregor faced assault and criminal mischief charges in 2018 after he threw a hand dolly through the window of a bus transporting other fighters. He pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in July.
In January, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended McGregor from fighting for six months and fined him $50,000 for brawling after Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated him.
This month, authorities arrested him in Miami and charged him with robbery and criminal mischief for allegedly stealing a cellphone from someone attempting to photograph him.
This story has been updated with a statement from McGregor’s spokeswoman.