Owner of Conor McGregor whiskey brand says it will no longer use ...

It follows the decision by a jury in the High Court last week that McGregor had assaulted hair stylist Nikita Hand, to whom he must now pay €248,000 in damages.

Proximo Spirits bought the whiskey brand from McGregor in 2021, but he continued to promote Proper No 12 Whiskey and Proper No 12 Apple Whiskey on social media. However, the company said today it was ending the association.

“Since 2021, Proximo Spirits has been the 100pc owner of Proper No 12 Irish Whiskey,” it said. “Going forward, we do not plan to use Mr McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand.”

It was a further blow to McGregor’s brand image on a day when several large retail chains announced they would no longer stock drinks associated with the MMA fighter.

Musgrave, owners of SuperValu and Centra, were the first to announce they were withdrawing the drinks from its stores. The decision will also affect Forged Irish Stout, the other brand with which McGregor has been associated.

Musgrave, a family-owned company, also owns the Donnybrook Fair brand and its entire network has more than 1,250 shops nationwide.

The company had faced public criticism for stocking products linked to McGregor following the jury’s decision in the assault case.

Spar owner BWG Foods group also told retailers that the products were no longer being offered. There are over 1,000 stores in its network. A spokesman confirmed: “The products are no longer listed for distribution across our network of Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL stores.”

Conor McGregor leaves High Court with partner Dee Devlin

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Tesco confirmed it would also stop selling Proper No 12 Whiskey.

The spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are removing Proper No 12 from sale in Tesco stores and online. Tesco does not stock Forged Irish Stout.”

In a statement this afternoon, the operator of Costcutter and Carry Out off-licence outlets also dropped the brands. It said: “Barry Group has made the decision to remove Forged Stout and Proper 12 from circulation to our network of Costcutter and Carry Out retail outlets. This action reflects our commitment to maintaining a retail environment that resonates with the values of our customers and partners.”

Other businesses linked to the fighter are also under pressure to dissociate themselves from his products.

The developer of the Hitman videogame series have said they will drop content featuring McGregor. Posting on the social media platform X, IO Interactive said that “in light of the recent court ruling” they would “cease collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately”.

The developer added that it took the court ruling very seriously and could not ignore its implications.

McGregor was a side character in the most recent game of Hitman, a franchise that has been in operation since 2000.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre released a statement after the court ruling in which chief executive Rachel Morrogh said there had been, “a strong effect across Irish society that we are feeling in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre”, with calls to a 24-hour helpline almost doubling over the weekend.

The organisation said it was asking people to stand with Nikita Hand and “examine whether the brands they associate with or follow are consistent with their own values and are opposed to violence against women”.