The jury in the civil trial of mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor and James Lawrence have been advised that any damages awarded to plaintiff Nikita Hand should be "proportionate".

Hand is seeking damages from McGregor and Lawrence who she alleges both raped her at the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford in December 2018.

The court finished hearing evidence from Hand, McGregor, Lawrence, doctors, paramedics and a forensic medical expert last week.

Hand said she was "brutally raped and battered" by McGregor, who claimed he and Hand had consensual sex that he described as "enthusiastic, athletic, prolonged and vigorous".

Lawrence said he twice had consensual sex with Hand after McGregor left the hotel, but Hand said she has no recollection of ever having sex with Lawrence.

At the High Court on Thursday, Mr Justice Alex Owens told the jury their verdict should be based on the evidence alone and that they "should not pluck a figure out of the sky", or consult a "Ouija board" in deciding the value of any damages.

The judge implicitly acknowledged the wealth of McGregor, who is likely the most famous and highest-earning Irish sportsperson of his generation.

Nicknamed the Notorious, the former two-weight champion remains one of the biggest names in UFC despite not having fought in the past three years.

In the 12 months to May 2021, he earned a reported $180m between his salary for fighting Dustin Poirier in January that year ($22m) and endorsements ($158m), according to Forbes, becoming the world's highest-paid athlete.

He previously featured on Forbes' annual list of top-paid athletes in 2017 ($34m), 2018 ($99m), and 2022 ($43m) after receiving $33m for fighting Poirier in July 2021, which remains the last time he stepped into an octagon to date.

Outside of MMA, McGregor founded the Proper 12 Whiskey business in 2018, and he and his partners sold their controlling stake in the company to Proximo Spirits for a reported $600m three years later in a deal that is believed to have netted McGregor $100m.

He has since remained in the drinks business, purchasing the Black Forge Inn in 2020 and launching Forged Irish Stout the following year. The pub made a €432,000 loss in 2022, according to accounts for Jemi Ventures, following a €1.13m loss in 2021.

McGregor ventured into acting earlier this year, starring opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Amazon's remake of Road House, and has bragged that he is the highest-paid first-time actor in history, in which case he would have earned at least $5.5m for his work in the film to top The Rock when he led 2002's The Scorpion King.

In May, An Bord Pleanála rejected plans for McGregor's Emrajare Ltd to build an 113-unit apartment block at the site of the Marble Arch pub on Benbulbin Road in Drimnagh, which he purchased for €1.5m to €2m in 2021. McGregor previously admitted to assaulting a man in the pub in April 2019.

Crumlin native McGregor is estimated to be worth $200m, and last year he claimed $650m in career earnings.

"It's motivating, obviously Michael Jordan is at the top spot with the Jordan brand took him there, he's worth multiple billions, $3.3bn I think he's made," McGregor said in an interview with broadcaster Megan Olivi.

"I'm closing in on a billion now, I think I'm at about $650m all in I've made. I think they [Forbes] estimate that, I'd have to probably do my own little check of that. 

"But I fancy my chances, I fancy my chances of getting up that list."

Photo: Conor McGregor. (Pic: Leon Farrell/© RollingNews.ie)