Conor McGregor is set to make his comeback in the UFC. The former two-division champion will face Max Holloway in a thrilling rematch nearly 13 years after their first fight. It will also be the Irishman’s first fight in five years out of the cage. So, he found himself on the guest couch on ‘The Tonight Show’ starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his upcoming bout. But now the show’s host is facing backlash for inviting the controversial fighter.
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In the show, Fallon recollected that they had gone for drinks after McGregor’s previous appearance on the show and claimed they should do that again. But the pair largely spoke about McGregor’s return to action.
“Ready to rock,” McGregor said about his comeback. “Five years out of the game, and I’m back. I’m excited to get back.
“You have to be calm, you have to be composed, you have to trust your training and your discipline. It’s where there’s no hiding in the Octagon. If you’ve maybe missed a training session or skipped a meal or ate something you shouldn’t have or lived a life not of discipline, it’s going to show in there. You’ll get caught.”
Conor McGregor spoke about his return fight on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 17, 2026
"I'm born for this I'm not born for anything else. Fighting is my bread and butter, it's what lights a fire in my belly. It's the best version of me, I'm happy to be back."pic.twitter.com/SenAlJqQvT
The backlash against Fallon centres around Conor McGregor’s role in the Nikita Hand case. McGregor’s return comes two years after he was found liable by an Irish High Court civil jury in the 2018 Nikita Hand case. He was ordered to pay Hand approximately over €248,000 in damages. Despite the ruling, ‘The Mac’ maintained that he was innocent and also decided to appeal the decision, but lost in July 2025 at the Court of Appeal.
After being found liable in the Hand case, McGregor acknowledged his personal failings in a public statement but continued to deny the allegations. Several similar allegations were made against McGregor over the years, though none resulted in criminal or civil charges. When it comes to the UFC’s view of McGregor’s legal trouble, the UFC has largely tried to avoid commenting on it.
In December 2024, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about his take on McGregor’s situation, but he swiftly avoided providing any view on the matter. But fans didn’t shy away from expressing exactly how they felt about McGregor’s appearance on ‘The Tonight Show.’ And Jimmy Fallon quickly became the target.
Jimmy Fallon might be regretting the invitation to Conor McGregor
One user outright attacked Fallon for having McGregor on his show. “Jimmy Fallon is an actual stupid person. You can’t hold that man accountable for this s–t because he literally does not understand what is wrong. The man is dumb. That is the ‘appeal’ of him. Just a mouth to say stuff the network tells him to. A real-boy Max Headroom,” the user wrote. Fallon is often criticized for his over-the-top laughter, frequent character-breaking, and tendency to give excessive praise to every guest.
Another fan expressed his disappointment with the decision. “Really stunned (and very disappointed) that @jimmyfallon agreed to this,” the fan posted. Besides being found liable in the 2018 Nikita Hand case, McGregor has become a polarizing figure due to his brashness and lack of boundaries when it comes to trash talk and insults.
Someone else felt the same way. The user commented, “Damn, @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight, shame on you for inviting this criminal!!” McGregor was once arrested for punching an elderly man in a Dublin pub after the man refused a drink from ‘The Mac.’
The next fan also criticized Fallon. “@jimmyfallon is a b—h. He is fake AF. He’ll laugh and giggle, and anyone on his show, regardless of how s—ty of a person the guest is. Fallon is a despicable human being with no spine,” the fan wrote. Fallon had also faced backlash after having President Donald Trump on his show in 2016.
Meanwhile, this user was unhappy that McGregor was trying to get into the spotlight. “It’s pathetic and disgraceful that he is trying to get back in the public eye. This dude belongs in prison,” the user claimed. McGregor’s appearance on the show is largely an attempt to promote his return at UFC 329 next month.
Having said that, it appears people are not big fans of Conor McGregor. And Jimmy Fallon has been caught in the crossfire for helping him get the spotlight.
