Nikita Hand to sue Conor McGregor and her former neighbours for damages. McGregor intended to call the neighbours to give statement saying Nikita was actually raped by her boyfriend, in his appeal (that was struck out yesterday

Nikita Hand has lodged a new civil action against former MMA fighter Conor McGregor as well as a couple he intended to call to give evidence in his appeal, before he withdrew the application in what were described as "mysterious circumstances".

Ms Hand is suing Mr McGregor as well as Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins for damages in an action filed yesterday.

It is understood that she alleges they engaged in malicious abuse of the process of the court.

Mr McGregor lost his appeal against a High Court jury’s finding that he raped Ms Hand in a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

He had intended to call evidence from Ms O’Reilly and Mr Cummins, who claimed they were former neighbours and had suggested that Ms Hand’s former boyfriend attacked her after she had been out with Mr McGregor on 9 December 2018.

Mr McGregor said this would have provided a "plausible explanation" for the bruising on her body, which he claimed he did not cause.

Ms Hand said the statements were lies.

But this ground of appeal was abandoned on the morning the appeal was due to begin.

The Court of Appeal said the application to introduce fresh evidence was abandoned in "somewhat mysterious" circumstances with no plausible reason given.

It awarded Ms Hand costs in relation to this issue at the highest possible level.