Kinahan gangsters ‘The Wig' and ‘Biggie' Little cheer on McGregor as his team are beaten in cup final

Sunday World

02-06-2025

It's a match made in hell as Conor's pals watch team in a 5-1 drubbing
McGregor, who was ordered to pay almost €250,000 to Nikita Hand after a civil jury found he raped her in a Dublin hotel, turned in a disappointing performance as he team were easily beaten by Ballyfermot-based Roc Celtic at the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh on Dublin's northside.
McGregor's pal James Lawrence, who was also named as a defendant in the civil suit but was found not liable for damages, also turned up to lend his support the MMA star as he pulled on the No10 jersey.
Nathan 'Biggie' Little and James Lawrence at the match to cheer McGregor's team
The Crumlin-born star, who hasn't fought in the UFC since 2021, was in buoyant mood as he arrived for the game dressed in Monogram Towelling Shirt costing €750 and matching shorts retailing at €630. He was also sporting a €2,800 Louis Vuitton sports hold-all.
McGregor walked in with the team off the team bus while his Rolls Royce and chauffeur were waiting for him in the car park.
He was accompanied by his own personal photographer and videographer and also had a team of promotion girls at the event handing out free pints of Forged brand of stout, which numerous retailers in Ireland and the UK refused to stock following the civil court verdict last year.
A few hundred people turned up for the match, with organisers saying it was probably the biggest crowd they'd seen at a challenge cup final.
Conor McGregor takes the pitch with his team
However, it proved to be a disappointing evening for the loudmouth star, with rival fans jeering his every move and his side eventually losing 5-1. And just to compound his miserable evening, McGregor was subbed off with 20 minutes to go.
Among the enthusiastic crowd was Kinahan-linked gangster Nathan 'Biggie' Little, who has previously been identified in the High Court as being a 'low-level' member of the Byrne Organised Crime Group.
Kinahan gangsters look on as McGregor plays in final
Conor McGregor plays for Black Forge in final May 30
According to CAB officers, Little is close to gang leader Liam Byrne, who was released from a UK prison on licence earlier this year just three months after being jailed for five years for a weapons plot.
Little is also close pals with Liam Byrne's son, Lee, who has no involvement in crime, and is going out with former Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard's daughter Lilly-Ella. The couple are expecting their first child any day now.
Graham 'The Wig' Whelan on the sidelines
Little has previously brought Steven Gerrard on trips around Dublin and the pair even visited McGregor's Black Forge Inn during a St Patrick's Day trip last year.
Little was seen standing beside James Lawrence at the match. Lawrence was named as a defendant in McGregor's civil case but the jury found him not liable.
During the case he denied being the 'fall guy' for the rape allegation against McGregor.
Kinahan gangsters look on as McGregor plays in final
News in 90 Seconds - June 1st
He said 'not in a million years" and asked why he would put himself up for the rape of a woman.
The Civil Court jury awarded Ms Hand close to €250,000 after it found McGregor assaulted her in the hotel.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens, said the jury had determined that McGregor had raped Ms Hand.
Women promoting McGregor's Forged stout
McGregor has launched an appeal against the verdict and wants to introduce new evidence from Ms Hand's former neighbours Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins in his appeal.
The Court of Appeal was told that Ms O'Reilly and Mr Cummins's house was 'in close proximity' to the home Ms Hand shared with Mr Redmond.
During a directions hearing, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan said Ms O'Reilly had claimed she was looking out of her upstairs bedroom window on 'the Sunday night/­early on the Monday morning' when she witnessed 'a heated row' between Mr Redmond and Ms Hand in their house across the road.
Her affidavit infers Mr Redmond assaulted Ms Hand in a bedroom by punching her and kicking her after pushing her to the floor.
Ms O'Reilly says she could not see any blows landing on Ms Hand, but believed she was being punched and kicked based on the movement of Mr Redmond's arms and hips.
Ms Hand has described the content of the couple's affidavits as 'lies'.
'My ex-partner Stephen Redmond [known as 'Ste'] did not assault me on the night of December 9/10, 2018, and never assaulted me in the course of our relationship, or since,' Ms Hand said.
The appeal is set to be heard on July 1.
Kinahan-linked gangster Graham 'The Wig' Whelan was watching from the sidelines as part of the Black Forge coaching set-up for the cup final on Friday.
Whelan is close pals with McGregor and going out with his sister Aoife.
Aoife has been going out with the convicted drug dealer in recent years and regularly visited him while he was in prison on money- laundering offences.
She set up the Stop N Glow tanning salon on Bridgefoot Street in the Liberties area of the capital last year and appointed Whelan's father as the company secretary.
Gardai received intelligence that The Wig was on the warpath in recent weeks after the salon was robbed.
According to information received by gardaí, they believe that Whelan has identified the suspect as being most likely based in the nearby Oliver Bond flats complex.
Gardaí did not receive any complaint about the alleged robbery but believe the culprit is most likely a local drug addict.