Conor McGregor‘s representatives reacted angrily to a report that the UFC star has been arrested and accused of sexual assault while on a trip to Italy.
On Saturday, the Agence France Press reported that a complaint was filed Thursday against McGregor in Corsica for alleged attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibitionism. The AFP, citing prosecutors, reported McGregor was arrested and released Saturday following a hearing. The report did not say who made the complaint.
“Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusation of misconduct,” McGregor legal spokesperson Karen Kessler told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “He has been interviewed and released.” McGregor’s agent, Audie Attar of Paradigm Sports Management, was angered by the report.
“I am irate and putting out a warning loud and clear: Conor McGregor is not and will not be a target for those seeking to score a headline or a payday,” Attar said.
The UFC has not responded to ESPN’s request for comment.
McGregor was in the area for the Calvi-Monaco Water Bike Challenge, where teams of athletes steer water bikes across the Ligurian Sea from Monaco to Corsica for charity. The alleged incident took place in a bar in the town of Calvi in Corisca, the AFP reported. On Friday, McGregor posted on his Instagram from the region, writing that officials from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) came to administer a drug test on him while he was on his yacht in the Mediterranean.
McGregor, 32, has said he is retired from the UFC, but not formally so since he continues to be tested by USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner. The Irishman last fought Jan. 18, a 40-second TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas. That was McGregor’s lone fight since 2018. Over the last two years, McGregor has had several run-ins with the law.
In 2018, he was arrested for throwing a dolly through a bus window at a UFC media day. The following year, he was arrested for stealing a man’s cellphone and breaking it. The case was later dropped. Also in 2019, McGregor was charged after punching an older man at a Dublin bar. The incident was captured on video. McGregor later pleaded guilty and a settlement was reached.