UMVA has learned that Jimmy Fallon is facing intense backlash from fans for his recent interview with UFC fighter Conor McGregor, which many are calling a masterclass in controversy.
The late-night host, 51, has been branded 'spineless' and 'pathetic' for allowing McGregor to appear on his sofa, despite the fighter's troubled past, including a civil case in which he was found liable for the 2018 rape of a woman at a Dublin hotel.
McGregor's appearance on The Tonight Show sparked major online outrage, with fans furiously berating Fallon for giving him a platform, and now, it seems, Fallon is trying to distance himself from the controversy, sparking even more outrage among fans.
After clips began to circulate online of McGregor's interview, social media users were quick to shame Fallon for his perceived endorsement of the fighter, and now, fans are claiming that Fallon is trying to bury any links to McGregor, with one user asking, 'Don't want to post McGregor @jimmyfallon? Why not?'.
The interview itself was a bombshell, with McGregor discussing his return to the Octagon and his approach to the fight, saying he was 'excited' and 'ready to rock' after 'five years out of the game', and describing his strategy as being 'calm', 'composed', and trusting in his 'training and discipline'.
The civil case against McGregor was a damning indictment of his actions, with a paramedic testifying that the victim, Nikita Hand, was 'brutally raped and battered', and a gynaecologist and forensic examiner describing her as 'shaking and crying' with a 9cm scratch on her left breast.
Fallon's decision to interview McGregor has been widely criticized, with many viewers expressing their outrage on social media, and now, it seems, Fallon is trying to move on from the controversy, but fans are not letting him forget.
As McGregor prepares to take on Max Holloway at UFC 329, the scrutiny on Fallon is unlikely to let up, and it remains to be seen how he will respond to the backlash, but one thing is certain - this is a story that is far from over.
