Jimmy Fallon faced backlash after interviewing Conor McGregor on The Tonight Show on June 16, 2026, with critics arguing the late-night host gave the UFC fighter a platform to promote his comeback without addressing the civil sexual assault case that has shadowed McGregor for over a year.
During the interview, Fallon enthusiastically discussed McGregor’s long-awaited return to fighting and reminisced about the pair going out for drinks at a bar called Paddy Reilly’s, saying “We’ll have to do it again!” The conversation focused on McGregor’s July 11 fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, marking his first bout in five years.
The bulk of comments under the YouTube video of the interview expressed outrage, with viewers saying Fallon had helped polish McGregor’s image while ignoring the fighter’s legal troubles. An Irish civil court jury found McGregor liable for sexual assault in November 2024, awarding nearly €250,000 in damages to the accuser, Nikita Hand, who said the assault occurred at a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor lost his appeal of that verdict in July 2025, and the three-judge panel rejected all grounds of his appeal, upholding the finding.
Actress Christina Ricci publicly condemned Fallon’s decision on June 23, resharing an Instagram post that detailed the severity of Hand’s injuries. “Conor McGregor raped a woman so brutally that the EMT who saw her commented on the severity of her bruising,” the post read. “Why the absolute f–k is this piece of human garbage being given a platform on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Shame on you, Jimmy.” Ricci, known for roles in The Addams Family, Monster, and Yellowjackets, did not elaborate further on her criticism.
The interview controversy underscores a recurring tension in entertainment media: the decision to book guests with controversial pasts and how hosts handle those histories on air. When McGregor appeared on the show, he was actively preparing for his UFC return after a five-year absence from competition, making him a newsworthy figure in sports. Yet his appearance came amid ongoing public discussion of the civil verdict and the detailed allegations that emerged during the trial.
In his interview with Fallon, McGregor said fighting is his main passion. “Fighting is my bread and butter. It’s what lights a fire in my belly. And to be back, and to be doing my thing with structure and discipline — it’s the best version of me,” he told the host. He has maintained his innocence in the assault case, stating in a post on X after the November 2024 verdict that while he acknowledged personal failings, “everything that happened that night was consensual.” McGregor has also faced other allegations, including an accusation of sexual assault at a Miami Heat basketball game in 2023, which he denied.
Representatives for Ricci and Fallon did not respond to requests for comment at the time of the controversy. NBC and The Tonight Show did not issue a public statement addressing the backlash.
Sources
- Complex — McGregor’s interview appearance on The Tonight Show, the backlash, and details of the civil case verdict
- CBC News — Christina Ricci’s Instagram post criticizing Fallon, McGregor’s civil liability finding, and interview details
- BBC News — McGregor’s loss of his appeal in the civil case in July 2025
- USA Today / MMA Junkie — McGregor’s response to the civil verdict and the timing of the interview
- The Guardian — McGregor’s legal costs order in the civil case
