In a recent episode of Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, he had Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor as a guest. In the wake of the appearance, American actress Christina Ricci called out Fallon.
Trigger warning: This article mentions r*pe and s*xual assault. Readers’ discretion is advised.
She reposted entrepreneur Adam McRae’s (@mushroom.marauder) post on her Instagram Stories, which detailed Nikita Hand’s 2018 r*pe allegations against McGregor.
“Conor McGregor r*ped a woman so brutally that the EMT who saw her commented on the severity of her bruising. She also had to have the tampon she was using when he r*ped her surgically removed, as it had been shoved so far inside her. Why the ABSOLUTE F**K is this piece of human garbage being given a platform on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Shame on you, Jimmy.”
McRae, who is also a forager, chef, artist, and guide, added in his caption:
“We need to stop pretending like r*pe is OK. Men. What the f**k are we doing here?”
Nikita Hand accused Conor McGregor of s*xual and physical assault at a hotel in Dublin, Ireland, in December 2018, after they partied at the Krystle nightclub. A 2024 jury trial in an Irish civil court found the MMA figure liable and asked to pay €250,000 in damages to Hand.
Besides McRae and Ricci, the public has also expressed outrage at Jimmy Fallon in the comments of the episode’s YouTube video. Fallon has yet to respond to the backlash.
Exploring the details of Conor McGregor and Nikita Hand’s case
The New York Times reported in March 2019 that the Garda Siochana, or “The Guardians of the Peace,” which refers to the national police and security service of the Republic of Ireland, was investigating Conor McGregor in relation to a December 2018 Dublin hotel assault allegation.
In January 2021, the prosecution declined to charge the UFC champion, citing a lack of sufficient evidence, following which the victim, Nikita Hand, filed a civil claim for compensation in the Dublin High Court. At the time, McGregor’s spokesperson told the press that he “categorically rejected” the accusations and was “confident that justice will prevail.”
The following year, in March, the court ordered the Garda Siochana to disclose pre-trial discovery. The trial took two more years to begin in November 2024. During the proceedings, it was revealed that Conor McGregor, with the help of his friend James Lawrence, brutally beat and r*ped her in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Dublin on December 9, 2018.
Lawrence, too, was sued by Hand for r*pe. Meanwhile, he claimed to have had consensual s*x twice with the plaintiff, which she claimed was a “made-up story.” James later lost his appeals after the court ruled against him.
A paramedic who examined Nikita immediately after the assault testified in front of the jury that she’d never seen such intense bruising on anyone before. After more than two weeks of deliberation, the jury returned with a verdict in favor of the victim.
Justice Alexander Owens ordered Conor McGregor not only to pay €250,000 in compensation but also to bear Hand’s legal expenses worth €1,500,000. While McGregor continued to plead innocence, he admitted to using cocaine. Later, a contempt of court case was filed against him for his misleading remarks about the civil case on social media during and after the trial.
While Nikita Hand stated that she hoped her civil case would encourage other victims to continue “pushing forward for justice,” Conor McGregor wrote on social media that he planned to appeal the verdicts. Meanwhile, many prominent figures in Ireland, including then-Minister of Justice Helen McEntee, praised Hand for her bravery, courage, and determination.
Back then, it was also revealed that in June 2024, ahead of the jury trial, masked gunmen broke into Hand’s home, smashed the windows using balaclavas, and stabbed her boyfriend. The incident may have been an attempt to intimidate Nikita from going forward with her civil case. However, the incident was withheld from the jury not to influence the verdict.
In the wake of the ruling, Conor McGregor lost several brand collaborations, endorsements, and his stout and whiskey brands were boycotted after the R*pe Crisis Network Ireland called for retailers and wholesalers to do so. Video game company IO Interactive also stopped its partnership with McGregor for its Hitman game series.
In July 2025, the heavyweight and lightweight champion lost his first appeal. Additionally, he was asked to pay the legal bills of Nikita Hand for trying to perjure and introduce two new witnesses.
Later, a second appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court, and also prevented him from further appeals.
Nikita Hand is not the only woman to have accused Conor McGregor or s*xual misconduct. Another alleged victim claimed he assaulted her inside a car in October 2019.
In June 2023, another woman accused the mixed martial artist of r*pe inside a toilet following a Miami Heat game during the NBA Finals at their home ground. McGregor denied the allegations and the case was dropped in October for lack of evidence. A civil lawsuit filed by the alleged victim in January 2025 in Florida is currently pending.
Last July, rapper Azealia Banks took to X and accused Conor of sending her unsolicited p*nis images. She later walked back on the claim and said they had been consensually exchanging intimate pictures since 2016.
Over the decades, the MMA fighter has had multiple other run-ins with the law.
Last week, Conor appeared on Fallon’s show to promote his July 11 UFC 329 comeback fight.
“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 revealed.
Elsewhere, McGregor spoke about drinking and singing karaoke with Jimmy back in the day, his four children, his failed political career, his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo, and his ring nickname “Notorious.”
Edited by Pallavi K