Conor McGregor civil case: 'Hitman' series cuts ties with UFC fighter following sexual assault verdict

Dublin , Ireland - 22 November 2024; Mr Conor McGregor leaves court, accompanied by his partner Dee Devlin, after the court announced the jury's decision in the civil action case, P Ní Laimhin v McGregor & Anor, in High Court 24 at Chancery Place in Dublin. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Conor McGregor leaves court, accompanied by his partner Dee Devlin, Friday following the verdict in his sexual assault case. (David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Game developer IO Interactive announced Monday that they are cutting ties with former UFC champion Conor McGregor following Friday's Irish civil court ruling that found McGregor liable for sexually assaulting a woman named Nikita Hand at Dublin hotel in 2018.

McGregor's voice and likeness were featured in IO Interactive's "Hitman: World of Assassination" as The Disruptor, one of the game's Elusive Targets. The company made the announcement through the "Hitman" social media account on X.

"In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately. We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today."

The Disruptor character was also featured in a downloadable content (DLC) pack, which has been removed from the "Hitman" online store.

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

McGregor, a former UFC two-division champion, has been ordered to pay Hand a total of €248,603.60 ($261,246.63) in damages as a result of Friday's verdict.

It's possible other McGregor products could disappear from store shelves, both online and in person. Cliona Saidlear, the executive director of Rape Crisis Center Ireland, has called for a boycott of McGregor's alcohol brands, Forged Irish Stout and Proper Twelve Whiskey. McGregor sold his whiskey brand in 2023, but remains the spokesperson.

"The companies making money from his alcohol and other products need to look at whether they want to align themselves with a man found by a civil jury to have sexually assaulted a woman," Saidlear said in a statement. "They need to stop promoting him and distance themselves... €250,000 won't dent his finances, but the public can play a role here in expressing disapproval for anyone that tries [to] make money with a man who engaged in that despicable behavior."

A solidarity march for Hand took place Monday in Dublin's city center.

McGregor, 36, has not competed in the UFC since a July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, during which he suffered a broken leg.

UFC has yet to comment on McGregor being found liable for sexual assault.