Conor McGregor maintains that he has not committed any wrongdoing. On Friday, he was found liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in 2018. The jury's decision followed an 11-day trial during which Hand and her legal team accused McGregor of "raping and battering" her, supported by testimony from a doctor and a psychologist. In response, McGregor contended that his encounter with Hand was consensual, stating, “sex with me was athletic, physical.”

Ultimately, the jury at the Dublin High Court found McGregor liable in the civil trial, requiring the UFC star to pay Hand €248,603.60 (approximately $258,440).

After the verdict, McGregor promptly released a statement on Twitter, expressing his intention to appeal the ruling. Although he later deleted his initial tweet, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion returned to Twitter on Saturday to reiterate his claims of innocence and reaffirm his plans to appeal the decision.

In the discussion of who won and lost in the only trade in MMA history, Demetrious Johnson is clear about his outcome after being traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren.

The 38-year-old ex-UFC flyweight champion, who declared his retirement from fighting in September, acknowledges that joining the Singapore-based organization was the most advantageous decision of his career. Though Johnson has several reasons for his sentiment, it's likely that the financial gains rank as the primary factor.

“ONE Championship is the best thing that's ever happened to me,” Johnson shared with MMA Fighting. “I say this for several reasons. The recent preliminary approval of the [UFC antitrust] lawsuit made me think about how you could estimate your earnings—taking 23 percent of what you earned in the company.

From 2011 to 2017, I fought 17 times, with 12 of those being championship bouts and five not. After crunching the numbers, I was shocked. I thought to myself, ‘What the heck? Is that really all I made?’ Last night, I lay in bed calculating it all, and I felt completely devastated. It really hit me hard.”

UFC 298 Concludes with a New Featherweight Champion and an Epic Knockout. Ilia Topuria Claims Victory over Alexander Volkanovski in Spectacular Fashion. Plus, Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill Set to Headline UFC 300. Let's Discuss the Exciting Highlights and Fallout from this Memorable Event.

These statements all revolve around the same subject, albeit from slightly different perspectives.

At just 27 years old, Ilia Topuria has emerged as the undisputed featherweight champion of the world. When we compare his age to other notable champions, such as Volkanovski, Holloway, and Aldo, we can see that Topuria is in a favorable position. Volk secured the title at a later stage in his career, while Topuria is in the prime age range and has yet to reach his athletic peak, which is expected in the next year or two. With his peak years still ahead of him, Topuria's dominance in the division could last for the next five to seven years, posing a significant challenge for other competitors at 145 pounds.

However, it's crucial to note that this doesn't guarantee Topuria an effortless path to greatness with numerous title defenses and the status of the greatest of all time (GOAT). It's been emphasized time and time again that defending a title repeatedly over an extended period is the most arduous task in MMA.

Newly crowned UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, made headlines prior to UFC 298 by stating that he would not grant title shots to division veterans Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, or Brian Ortega.

After his impressive victory over Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria has not changed his stance. During the post-fight press conference, he expressed that fighters like Holloway do not make sense for him at the moment, and he is looking for new challengers. Topuria mentioned upcoming fights that will determine his future opponents and assured that fans will see him in action for a while.

Topuria's confidence was evident even before UFC 298, as he predicted a win over Volkanovski prior to stepping into the octagon. The fight itself ended emphatically in the second round, with Topuria delivering a clean stoppage while Volkanovski was moving backward.

As is often the case for a new champion in a division filled with talent, the question arises: what comes next? Volkanovski immediately called for a rematch, highlighting his impressive record at 145 pounds and his loyalty to the UFC as a "company man."

Despite not achieving victory during his brief stint in the octagon, CM Punk, the current WWE star, has no regrets about his decision to try his hand at MMA.

Punk was present at the recent UFC 298 event held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. During an interview with UFC broadcast partner Sportsnet after the pay-per-view card, he was asked about a potential return to professional wrestling following his highly publicized departure from WWE several years ago.

In response, Punk expressed the unpredictable nature of the wrestling business and stated, "You never say never." Reflecting on his unexpected venture into the world of UFC, Punk acknowledged that he was given a unique opportunity by Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White. He emphasized that declining the chance to compete in the UFC would have left him with lingering regrets to this day.

UFC 300 is set to deliver an impressive lineup for its highly anticipated April event. After a tumultuous year, the UFC is returning to its home base in Las Vegas on April 13 with CEO Dana White promising a stacked and unpredictable card.

With four title fights already scheduled for the first quarter of the year, including exciting matchups like Strickland vs. Du Plessis, Bueno Silva vs. Pennington, Volkanovski vs. Topuria, and O'Malley vs. Vera, the possibilities for booking blockbuster fights are endless. The UFC has numerous directions it could take to create an unforgettable event.

Could UFC 300 be the moment fans have been waiting for with the anticipated comeback of Conor McGregor, the sport's biggest star? Only time will reveal the truth as the countdown to UFC 300 has begun.