MIAMI, Jan 16 — Former UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of a sexual assault at an NBA game in a civil lawsuit filed against the Irishman in a US court.

The alleged incident took place in 2023 and was previously part of a criminal allegation against McGregor which the Florida State Attorney’s office declined to go forward with.

The woman, whose name has not been released, alleges in court documents that she was sexually assaulted in the toilets at the Miami Heat’s Kaseya Centre in June 2023 where the pair had been in the hospitality area.

The women reported the incident two days afterwards. Her attorney James Dunn said in an email that she had decided to bring the case now because her identity had been leaked to a media outlet.

"After the Miami-Dade County Prosecutor’s office elected not to pursue criminal charges, a civil case is the only avenue that my client has to seek justice in this case,” Dunn said in the emailed statement.

Barbara Llanes of Gelber, Schachter & Greenberg, counsel for McGregor said: "After a thorough investigation at the time, the State’s Attorney concluded that there was no case to pursue. Almost two years and at least three lawyers later the plaintiff has a new false story. We are confident that this case too will be dismissed.”

The plaintiff is suing the Kaseya Center staff and security for "gross negligence” and is asking for "for past and future medical treatment, compensatory damages, and costs, and such other and further relief as (the) Court deems reasonable,” according to the court documents. — AFP