Conor McGregor Under Investigation For Alleged Sexual Assault Incident

The New York Times reported Tuesday that UFC Superstar Conor McGregor is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that took place in Ireland last December.

According to the report, McGregor has not been charged with a crime, however officials are investigating the case. There had been reports in Ireland for months about the incident, however McGregor's name was never mentioned because the laws in that country prevent news media from naming rape suspects until they've been convicted.

The Independent reported in January that "a well-known sports star" was arrested on Thursday, January 17, 2019 for the rape of a young woman. The suspect allegedly admitted to police that he had sex with the woman, but claimed that it was consensual. The woman was treated at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at a nearby hospital, which led officials to believe that the allegation was credible.

According to TMZ, the accuser is a woman in her 20s who said that she was socializing with friends before the incident took place on December 10th at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. A source told The Times that McGregor had booked the hotel's penthouse on the night of the incident. The report added that evidence was retrieved from his room and closed-circuit camera footage has been secured.

McGregor had announced his retirement from UFC earlier today. McGregor's spokesperson, Karen Kessler, said that the announcement was unrelated to the accusation and issued this statement to the media:

"This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now. The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false. 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."