Conor McGregor has said that he was the ‘most scared’ he had ever been in his life after it was speculated that a ‘sports star’ had been accused of raping a woman. Nikita Hand is taking civil action against McGregor and another man in relation to an alleged sex attack in 2018.

The alleged incident involving McGregor was said to have taken place in a Dublin hotel room. McGregor denies the allegations and his lawyers told an earlier hearing that Hand was attempting extortion.

Hand previously told the High Court in Dublin that McGregor choked her three times, leading her to believe that she was going to die. She said that after the alleged attack, she fell asleep on the bed in the hotel room and discovered bruising on her body when she woke up.

On Tuesday, a paramedic who examined Hand told the court that she had not ‘seen somebody so bruised in a long time’. The paramedic said that Hand’s primary concern was about a tampon pushed up too far inside her.

McGregor, speaking to the court on Wednesday, admitted to having sex with Hand but said it was consensual and denied causing any bruising.

“I will tell you where she didn’t get them, from me,” he said of the bruises. “I would say the sex with me was athletic, physical and it was prolonged and it was in a multitude of positions.

“I had my hands on hips, buttocks, back of legs, no time did I go near her neck. At no time did I bite her, did she bite me. At no time did I scrape her, nor did she scrape me.”

McGregor insisted the sex with Hand was consensual and told the court there was “not an iota of distress – from the car, lift in the bedroom, entire process, all throughout the evening.”

He also told the court that Hand was not wearing a tampon, saying: “There was no tampon that I could see, what I could feel, no discussion of a tampon.”

McGregor added: “There was none. If there was and she was on her cycle, I would not have had sex with Nikita Hand.”

When it was put to McGregor that he came onto Hand and that she remonstrated with him not to have sex with her, he responded: “Lies and more lies.”

It was then put to McGregor that people were speculating about a ‘sports star’ on social media. He told the court that reading the speculation caused him distress to a level he had never experienced before.

“It’s definitely not me,” he said. “When I heard about a sports star, I was shocked and frightened beyond belief. The most scared thing I have gone through in my life.”

McGregor denies the allegations. The trial continues.