Jimmy Fallon has faced backlash from fans for appearing to ‘hide’ his controversial Conor McGregor interview.
The late-night host, 51, was branded ‘spineless’ and ‘pathetic’ for allowing the UFC fighter to appear on his sofa.
McGregor, 37, who is returning to the Octagon against Max Holloway at UFC 329, was previously found liable in a civil case for the 2018 rape of a woman at a Dublin hotel.
However, after clips began to circulate online of him appearing on the show, social media users were quick to shame Fallon for giving him a ‘platform’.
Now, following his latest social media post about a surprise stunt he filmed with Sir Paul McCartney back in 2018, fans are claiming that Fallon is trying to bury any links to McGregor.
Commenting beneath the post on Instagram, @miss.leticia asked: ‘Don’t want to post McGregor @jimmyfallon? Why not?’
Another user called @faaulds also wrote: ‘No post about having Conor McGregor on the show??? 🤔🤔’
Meanwhile, @wolf.mit.einem added: ‘I’m surprised to see that you’re not putting out a nice little reel with you and McGregor on here. It’s almost like… it shouldn’t have happened? Never watching your show again.’
Following the jury’s ruling in the two-week-long civil case, Nikita Hand was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages, which saw McGregor accused of ‘brutally raping and battering’ her.
At the time, a paramedic who assessed Hand the day after the incident told the court she had not seen ‘someone so bruised’ in a long time.
Evidence heard included that of Dr Daniel Kane, a gynaecologist and forensic examiner, who said that Hand was ‘shaking and crying’ when he oversaw her.
He also said that she had a 9cm scratch on her left breast and forceps had to be used to remove a tampon she had been wearing the previous night because it became ‘wedged inside’.
At the time of the interview, viewers furiously berated Fallon for allowing the ‘disgusting’ interview to take place, with @DeLuainatic tweeting: ‘Shame on @jimmyfallon.’
During the interview, in which the studio audience clapped and cheered for McGregor, Fallon reminisced on a time that they went out drinking together.
McGregor responded: ‘We’ll have to do it again!’
On his UFC comeback, he also said that he was ‘excited’ and ‘ready to rock’ after ‘five years out of the game’.
Describing his approach to the fight, he added: ‘You have to be calm; you have to be composed. You have to trust your training and your discipline. There’s no hiding in the Octagon.’
McGregor, who has the nickname The Notorious, will take on Holloway on July 11.
Metro has contacted Jimmy Fallon for comment.