Jimmy Fallon criticized for hosting UFC star Conor McGregor accused of sexual assault
Jimmy Fallon is facing criticism after hosting UFC star Conor McGregor on The Tonight Show. Social media users criticized the host for including McGregor and questioned why the civil case involving Nikita Hand was not addressed in the interview.
Jimmy Fallon faces online criticism after featuring mixed martial artist Conor McGregor The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon On 17 June. Social media users accused Fallon of giving McGregor a platform despite being found liable in a civil case involving Nikita Hand. Many also questioned why the controversy was not addressed in the interview or why the civil judgment was not mentioned.
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Fallon, who hosted The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Since 2014, McGregor has been welcomed to the show as the Irish fighter prepares for his return to the UFC. However, clips of the interview quickly circulated online.
Many social media users criticized Fallon for not raising questions about McGregor’s legal history during the conversation.
“Shame on @JimmyFallon. Conor McGregor is a rapist. You’re one of the few people who isn’t doing stuff like that on his show,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “Rapist on TV, Jesus.”
A third user wrote, “It’s great that Jimmy is helping to rehabilitate the image of a rapist.”
Another social media user questioned the interview’s approach, writing, “There is no question about when he raped a woman so violently that she needed surgery? Or when masked men broke into his house and stabbed his partner (woman) when she sued him?”
Another post read, “Good to know @JimmyFallon is friends with a man who raped a woman so violently that her tampons had to be surgically removed.”
all about the case
The response stems from a November 2024 civil trial in which a jury found McGregor liable for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand over an incident that took place in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. During the proceedings, Hand accused the UFC fighter of “brutally raping and assaulting” her.
Medical and forensic experts testified that she suffered serious internal injuries, while the court also heard that a doctor had to use forceps to remove a tampon stuck inside her vagina after the alleged attack. A paramedic who examined the hand after the incident reportedly said that he had not seen “someone so injured” in a long time.
McGregor’s appearance comes as he prepares for his first UFC fight since 2021. The former two-division champion recently announced that he will return to the Octagon to face Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11.