Editor’s note: This article originally was published on DAZN.com.
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Conor McGregor denied wrong doing after the former UFC two-division champion was arrested while on a trip to France with his fiance and two children.
On Saturday morning, it was reported by the Agence France Press that an individual filed a complaint against McGregor in Corsica for an alleged attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition at a local bar. Prosecutors released a statement to the AFP informing them McGregor had been detained.
Upon the report, McGregor’s representatives went on the offensive, with the Irish star flatly denying the accusations.
“Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusation of misconduct,” McGregor legal spokesperson Karen Kessler told ESPN. “He has been interviewed and released.”
Shortly after that statement was released, McGregor’s agent at Paradigm Sports Management, Audie Attar, sent a stern message on the matter: “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.”
The UFC hasn’t released a statement about the allegations levied against their biggest star.
McGregor is in France for the Calvi-Monaco Water Bike Challenge, a 180-kilometer, 24-hour charity water bike race with Princess Charlene of Monaco to promote water safety. The 32-year-old withdrew from the event.
McGregor hasn’t fought since January, when he knocked out Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246. In June, McGregor retired from the sport. However, on Friday he was drug tested on his yacht by USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner.
The recent incident is the first time the Irishman has run afoul of the law. In April 2018, he was arrested days before UFC 223 for throwing a dolly through a bus window containing UFC fighters. Then, at the beginning of 2019, McGregor was arrested in Miami for taking a cell phone from a male and smashing it on the ground. The case was ultimately dropped.
McGregor also was arrested in his home country of Ireland for punching an elderly patron in a bar last year. McGregor ended up pleading guilty and reached a settlement with the gentleman.
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