On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that legendary UFC fighter Conor McGregor had been arrested for sexual assault. The news came shortly after McGregor announced that he would be retiring from the sport that made him famous. Many fans and media outlets concluded that the 30-year-old’s decision was a result of the ensuing scandal. Now, however, a representative for McGregor claims that the two developments are unrelated. And while she stopped just short of denying that McGregor had been arrested, she did refer to the report of his arrest as a “rumor” in her statement to ESPN. “This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now,” Karen Kessler told the network. “The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false.” Kessler declined to go into further detail regarding the allegations against McGregor. She did, however, state that he has not closed the door on further competition. “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,” she stated. The Times reports that McGregor was arrested in his native Ireland back in January. Dublin police have been tight-lipped with regard to details, but a statement from the department confirms that the alleged assault took place several weeks before McGregor’s rumored arrest: “[Police] are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female which occurred in Dublin 2 in the early hours of this morning, Monday December 10th 2018,” a spokesperson said. “No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.” McGregor announced his retirement with a characteristically irreverent tweet on Tuesday: “Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he wrote. “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!” McGregor has a history of brushes with the law, including an assault arrest stemming from an April 2018 incident in which he smashed the windows of a bus containing several rival fighters. We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available. View Slideshow: 23 Scandalous Sports Stories
Read the original:
Conor McGregor Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations