11/23/24: Conor McGregor Found Liable For Assault In Civil Trial
Also: Natasha Kuziutina retains LFA title in hard-fought decision
Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today’s issue has a recap of the sport’s latest headlines, plus a preview of the top event set to take place later today.
By the time you’re seeing this newsletter, UFC’s event in Macau has either started or wrapped up entirely. We’ll have a full recap of the show’s top stories in tomorrow’s issue. If you want to read a preview of the show before tuning in today, check out the blurb I wrote as part of Monday’s “Look At The Week Ahead” issue of the newsletter!
Alright, now to today’s news.
Conor McGregor Found Liable For Sexual Assault In Dublin Civil Trial
Content warning: This article includes mentions and descriptions of sexual assault.
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has been found liable for sexual assault, with a jury in Dublin, Ireland ruling that he committed an act of rape against a woman at a penthouse in 2018.
The verdict came following two weeks of trial, where plaintiff Nikita Hand recounted suffering severe bruising and long-term struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she said she was sexually violated by McGregor, per The Guardian.
Hand, who was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol when she came into contact with the MMA fighter in late 2018, described heading to Beacon Hotel with a friend of hers, McGregor, and co-defendant James Lawrence, whom the court found not liable for sexual assault. Hand said McGregor choked her and forced her to have sex with him while in the hotel, leaving her scratched and bruised.
Numerous experts spoke to the physical and mental damages Hand endured following her encounter with McGregor, which has caused her to be deemed “unfit for work” since 2019. Hand was seen with a “multiplicity” of marks on her body the day after her meeting with McGregor, and had to get a tampon removed from her by a doctor.
McGregor, who denied the claims brought forward in the trial, argued that he had consensual sex with Hand when they met in December 2018. He railed against any ownership for the damage that Hand suffered, suggesting that she might have instead obtained the injuries by diving into a bathtub.
In the trial, McGregor’s legal team attempted to paint Hand as an unreliable source by pointing out slight inconsistencies in her story. They focused on texts between Hand and her boyfriend at the time, tried to compare parts of Hand’s story to CCTV footage from the night of her encounter with McGregor, and questioned her inability to remember certain details. However, none of it was more convincing to the jury than the significant damage that Hand suffered, which was backed up by a litany of professionals.
Hand is expected to receive nearly 250,000 Euro in damages.
“I want to show [my daughter] and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served,” Hand said outside a Dublin courtroom following the verdict on Friday. “To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice, and keep on fighting for justice.”
The road to a favorable verdict was a long and painful one for Hand. The former hairdresser initially pursued a civil case against McGregor in 2021 after Irish prosecutors decided against going forward with a criminal case.
In a detail which just became public following the trial, Hand suffered a traumatizing breaking-and-entering in June of this year. RTE reported that Hand’s house was invaded by a group of men wearing balaclavas a few months back, breaking into a window of her residence in the process. Her partner, who had “driven out” the group, suffered stab wounds. Hand’s legal counsel said they weren’t “saying they [the defendants] had anything to do with that,” but also argued that it wasn’t an untargeted attack. The judge decided the incident was “completely irrelevant” to the trial.
In a now-deleted social media post, McGregor said he plans to appeal the trial’s result.
“I will be appealing today’s decision,” McGregor said. “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…”
Editor’s Note: Previous reports featured on Knockdown News did not refer to Nikita Hand by name, as it hadn’t been previously indicated that she wanted to be publicly linked to the case. However, after coming forward with her own statement on Friday, she will now be named. Full disclosure: Knockdown News does not report the names of sexual assault victims unless they have clearly opted to be publically identified.
Natasha Kuziutina Nearly Stops Yasmine Guimaraes Early, Settles With Decision In LFA Title Fight
Interim LFA Strawweight Champion Natasha Kuziutina petitioned for a spot on the UFC roster on Friday night after winning a gruelling five-round fight against Yasmine Guimaraes.
Appearing in the same country where she earned a bronze medal for Judo in the 2016 Olympics, Brazil, Kuziutina went through five rounds against Guimaraes to win via unanimous decision. The title bout headlined LFA 197 from Sao Paulo.
Kuziutina had a strong start to the fight, nearly finishing Guimaraes in the opening round.
The Russian prospect applied a deep armbar onto Guimaraes in the final minute of the first round, putting the Brazilian prospect in deep danger of being stopped. However, Guimaraes was able to endure the hold until the round ran out of time.
In between rounds, it seemed as if the Guimaraes had suffered an injury due to the submission, with the broadcast wondering whether her elbow had popped out. The referee motioned to wave off the fight once he saw Guimaraes’ condition, but then shockingly reversed his decision and instead let the bout continue.
While the opening round saw Kuziutina nearly end the fight, it wasn’t as impactful on scorecards as he might have hoped. The incumbent champ was deducted a point early in the bout due to a fence grab to prevent a takedown attempt, meaning she might have broken even with the round or won the frame by just a single point, as opposed to a wider 10-8 result.
However, the champ pulled ahead with a successful second frame. After Guimaraes was also deducted a point for fence grabbing, Kuziutina won the second frame by scoring a takedown and landing with ground and pound.
Kuzitina utilized headlock positions on the feet throughout the fight, either by setting up takedowns or allowing a moment to throw punches.
Guimaraes, despite seemingly suffering an injury, battled back and showed signs of life in the championship rounds of the fight. She was notably able to threaten Kuziutina in the closing moments of the fifth round with a guillotine choke while on her back, but wasn’t able to find a submission in time.
While Guimaraes gave Kuziutina a run for her money, the fight had wide margins on the scorecards. Judges saw the bout 47-45, 49-43, and 48-45 in favor of Kuziutina.
The victory was Kuziutina’s third consecutive LFA title win within a 12-month period. She previously went the distance in a pair of other title fights, ending the undefeated run of GiGi Canuto and beating Bellator vet Bruna Ellen.
The 35-year-old now wants bigger opportunities in the sport.
“Mick Maynard, why don’t you like me?” she said after her win on Friday, calling out UFC’s matchmaker. “I am the champion. I am the best of the best. I want to beat the UFC girls.”
Guimaraes entered this weekend with an impressive five-fight winning streak, including a pair of past appearances in Polish MMA promotion KSW. Her previous fight was a decision win over Naizi Cantanhede, ending the prospect’s seven-fight undefeated record.
The co-main event of the night saw Marcio Barbosa score his third consecutive first-round LFA finish, beating Felipe Oliveira in just under three minutes with strikes. Earlier in the evening, former Bellator talent Jose Augusto returned with a third-round stoppage against Edivan Santos.
Here are the quick results from LFA 197:
Main Card (7:00PM EST / 9:00PM BRT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 14: Natasha Kuziutina def. Yasmin Guimaraes via Decision, Unanimous (Interim LFA Strawweight Championship)
Bout 13: Marcio Barbosa def. Felipe Oliveira via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:54)
Bout 12: Vinicius Pires def. Jhon Rodriguez Tacha via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2, 4:00)
Bout 11: Jose Augusto def. Edivan Santos via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:20)
Bout 10: Michael Oliveira def. Aldo Pereira via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 9: Marcelo Marques def. Luann Sardinha via Decision, Split
Bout 8: Juan Pablo Vieira def. Maycon Kevin via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 0:50)
Preliminary Card (5:30PM EST / 7:30PM BRT) (Youtube)
Bout 7: Richard Martins def. Lucas Batista via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:29)
Bout 6: Reginaldo Junior def. Dallys Dama via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Aieza Bertolso def. Janaina Silva via Decision, Unanimous
Early Prelims (3:00PM EST / 5:00PM BRT) (Youtube)
Bout 4: Ryan Gandra def. Vladimir Calvo via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:28)
Bout 3: Nicoly Pedroza def. Thalita Diniz via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:25)
Bout 2: Beatiz Consuli def. Thaiany Lopes via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Clara Oliveira def. Maria Vaz via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:22)
Preview
Cage Warriors Ends 2024 European Season With Title Doubleheader
A few hours after UFC’s presentation from Macau wraps up, it will be Cage Warriors’ turn in the spotlight.
Presenting their final European show of 2024—with their last card of the year expected to be a low-key presentation in the U.S.—Cage Warriors will put on a pair of major title fights this weekend.
The main event will go to an international clash between featherweight prospects, as Harry Hardwick looks to defend his title for the first time in a fight against Keweny Lopes.
Hardwick has gone undefeated since 2021, with five wins emerging in Cage Warriors through those years. He captured the promotion’s featherweight title earlier this year, stopping short-notice opponent Orlando Wilson Prins in the second round with strikes. Now back one more time before 2024 comes to a close, the former Bellator talent will try to get past a tough assignment and maintain his status as a blue-chip prospect.
Lopes, who trains out of the prolific Nova Uniao gym in Brazil, is heading overseas with loads of momentum. The 29-year-old has put together 11 consecutive wins, with nearly all of them coming via finish. His victories include a 2022 Brazilian regional title win, a victory in France over then-undefeated Mathias Poiron, and a recent 74-second LFA main event stoppage win over Wellington Prado from just a few months back. After picking up some big victories in recent outings, the largest win yet for Lopes might be right around the corner.
Before the main event, Kennedy Freeman—daughter of MMA pioneer Ian Freeman—will fight for the vacant Cage Warriors bantamweight title against Mafalda Carmona.
Freeman returned to MMA last year, debuting for Cage Warriors after picking up a trio of wins in her 2018 debut year as a pro. After stopping back-to-back opponents with strikes, she’s receiving an early opportunity in her career to secure a major regional belt.
Carmona, a fighter who stepped in after Emilia Czerwinska withdrew from the card, has put together four victories since 2022, including a May win in KSW over Adrianna Kreft. The Portugal-based fighter has a chance to spoil a major moment for Freeman if successful this weekend.
Originally, Saturday’s card from Newcastle was supposed to be a title triple-header, with a long-awaited flyweight clash between incumbent champ Shajidul Haque and French prospect Nicolas Leblond as part of the lineup. However, it was announced Friday that the bout would once again be cancelled.
The fight, which was also removed from a card in July of this year, was called off due to “adverse weather conditions” which prevented Leblond from travelling to the show, per a press release by the promotion.
Haque was aiming to defend his title for the second time since being crowned champ back in late 2022. Leblond was being given his first chance at a regional title since his 2013 pro debut.
Cage Warriors noted that they hope to re-book the fight once again.
Here’s how today’s show looks:
Main Card (3:30PM EST / 8:30PM GMT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 11: Harry Hardwick (11-3-1) vs. Keweny Lopes (11-1-1) (Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship)
Bout 10: Kennedy Freeman (5-0) vs. Mafalda Carmona (7-2) (Vacant Cage Warriors Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 9: Justin Burlinson (8-2) vs. Theodor Berggren (6-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 8: James Power (7-1) vs. Dumitru Girlean (8-2) (Lightweight)
Bout 7: Andrey Augusto (16-7-1) vs. Sean Clancy Jr. (5-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 6: Charles Joyner (4-1) vs. Yannick Bahati (9-7) (Light Heavyweight)
Preliminary Card (1:30PM EST / 6:30PM GMT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 5: Aiden Lee (12-8) vs. Daniel Konrad (6-2) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Bailey Gilbert (8-6) vs. Alberth Dias (6-5) (Featherweight)
Bou 3: Michael Folc (7-6) vs. Leon Armes (2-0) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: James Dixon (4-2) vs. Qendrim Pallata (4-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 1: Delmar Silva (6-7) vs. Michael Tchamou (5-4) (Middleweight)
Notes On: UFC, ONE Championship & Invicta FC
UFC
On the hunt for her first UFC win, Fatima Kline (6-1) will go up against Victoria Dudakova (8-1) at the promotion’s January 11th show, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie. Former two-division CFFC champ Kline lost her UFC debut in July, dropping a short-notice decision to Jasmine Jasudavicius. Russia’s Dudakova is coming back after also facing her past pro loss, not being favored in an August split decision to Sam Hughes.
Experienced lightweights Diego Ferreira (19-5) and Grant Dawson (22-2-1) have been paired up for UFC 311 on January 18th, per David Van Auken. 15-fight UFC vet Ferreira is coming off a pair of stoppage wins, earning performance bonuses with victories over Michael Johnson and Mateusz Rebecki. Dawson has picked up two wins since suffering his first UFC defeat last year, getting past Joe Solecki and Rafa Garcia.
Three more fights have been confirmed for UFC’s February 25th card:
Nazim Sadykhov (9-1-1) will make his return in a lightweight clash against Ismael Bonfim (20-4), per social media posts made by both fighters. Sadykhov had his nine-fight winning streak brought to a halt last year, taking a majority decision draw against Viacheslav Borshchev. Bonfim on the other hand returned to the win column in May with a decision over veteran Vinc Pichel.
Joining his brother on the same card, Gabriel Bonfim (16-1) will go up against Rinat Fakhretdinov (24-2-1). Bonfim has won three of his four UFC fights since joining the promotion in early 2023, with his last outing being a decision win over Ange Loosa. Fakhretdinov has yet to lose since joining the UFC, scoring five wins and one draw.
Middleweights Rodolfo Vieira (10-2) and Jacob Malkoun (8-3) will face off, per Laerte Viana. Vieira has scored back-to-back arm triangle choke wins over the past two years, beating Cody Brundage and Armen Petrosyan. Malkoun, who has flipped between winning and losing in recent years, is coming off a finish win against Andre Petroski.
Rising featherweights Lucas Almeida (15-3) and Danny Silva (9-1) have been matched up for UFC’s March 1st card, as first reported by Marcel Dorff and later confirmed by social media posts from both fighters. 2023 “Dana White’s Contender Series” stand-out Silva won his UFC debut in March, getting by Josh Culibao on scorecards. Almeida snapped a two-fight skid in June with a victory over Timmy Cuamba.
Rumors are swirling about a potential Mexico card next year. Claro Sports is reporting that the promotion is eyeing a return to Mexico City on March 29th inside the new Arena Guadalajara, which is scheduled to open in early 2025.
Further adding to the belief that a card in Mexico could happen on that date, the country’s own Edgar Chaires (11-6) has been booked for a fight against CJ Vergara (12-6-1) on that date, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie. Chairez suffered a loss at UFC Noche earlier this year, dropping a decision to Joshua Van. Vergara will be trying to avoid a three-fight skid after unsuccessful performances against Asu Almabayev and Ramazan Temirov.
ONE Championship
Three MMA fights have been added to ONE Fight Night 27 on January 10th:
Undefeated Sanzhar Zakirov (10-0) will look for his second ONE win when he faces Tatsumitsu Wada (26-12-2). Zakirov won his promotional debut in March, stopping Ryosuke Honda in the second round with strikes. He was expected to meet ONE vet Hiroba Minowa earlier this year, although the promotion moved on from the fight after it fell off two cards. Wada will be looking for a three-fight winning streak for the first time since he was a DEEP Impact champ in Japan many years back. He’s coming back after beating Ernesto Montilla Jr. and Xie Wei.
Chihiro Sawada (8-0-1) will get a step up in competition when she meets Meng Bo (21-7). Sawada will be looking for her third win in her rookie year as a ONE fighter, coming back after beating Jihin Radzuan and Noelle Grandjean. Meng, who has fought in ONE since 2019, is appearing once again after a late 2023 defeat against Ayaka Miura.
Attempting to break a four-fight skid, former ONE title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin (14-8) will return against Aaron Canarte (10-2). Nastyukhin hasn’t bounced back after his 2021 73-second defeat to Christian Lee, having been stopped three more times since then. Canarte has also struggled as of late, losing bouts to Akbar Abdullaev and Shamil Gasanov since joining ONE in 2023.
Invicta FC
Invicta FC has announced six more fights for their final show of 2024, which is scheduled for December 13th. It was previously announced that bantamweight champ Talita Bernardo will meet former UFC title challenger Jennifer Maia in the main event:
Featherweight prospect Riley Martinez (4-0) will return to Invicta FC for a fight against PFL alum Jackie Cataline (5-3). Martinez has won all four of her pro fights via first-round finish, including a 2023 victory over Julia Dorny at Invicta FC 54. Cataline will try to end another prospect’s undefeated record, coming back after stopping Kelly Ottoni in August.
Nine-fight Bellator fighter Alejandra Lara (11-7) will face off against Paula Cristina (6-3). Lara has earned two wins since exiting Bellator last year, earning a Combate Global victory earlier this year and scoring a regional title. Cristina is looking to bounce back after losing to Denise Kielholtz and Kate Bacik over the past two years.
Former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Valesca Machado (14-4) is booked to face Yasmin Castanho (6-1). Machado won in her return to the promotion in August, beating Yulia Ostroverkhova via decision. Castanho is coming off a three-fight run in LFA, with her sole loss as a pro coming against now-UFC talent Bruna Brasil.
Invicta FC vet Monique Adriane (6-2) will appear for the first time in a year-and-a-half, facing Ana Palacios (9-3-1). Adriane earned a pair of Invicta FC wins before her absence from the cage, including a 2023 win over Nicole Geraldo. Combate Global vet Palacios won her Invicta FC debut in August, beating Flor Hernandez on scorecards.
In a clash between undefeated prospects, IMMAF vet turned atomweight stand-out Giulliany Perea (2-0) will take on Natalie Salcedo (3-0). Perea, who scored more than a dozen amateur wins before turning pro earlier this year, won her Invicta FC debut in August. Salcedo appeared under the Invicta FC banner in her 2021 debut is now coming back after scoring a pair of regional submission wins.
Fresh off a 94-second debut win in August, Ashley Barrett (1-0) will meet Fernanda Orellana (2-0). Chile’s Orellana is getting somewhat of a quick turnaround, fighting after winning a bout against Meaghan Penning in September.