Conor McGregor is back in the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool, hinting at a possible UFC comeback. The Irish fighter hasn’t competed since fracturing his leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, but he did appear as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter alongside lightweight contender Michael Chandler.
This set the stage for a potential showdown with Chandler, contingent on McGregor’s clearance by USADA. USADA stipulates that athletes must undergo testing for a minimum of six months and return two negative tests before they can compete.
Travis T. Tygart, the CEO of USADA, stated that McGregor officially re-entered the testing pool on October 8, 2023. This timeline could put his comeback in 2023 in doubt. However, in an official statement released by USADA, Tygart also revealed that their relationship with the UFC was ending.
NO MORE USADA & UFC 🤯🤯🤯
USADA also CONFIRMS that Conor McGregor is in the testing pool 👀 pic.twitter.com/7VIM2zR9S2
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 11, 2023
Tygart’s statement began with, “We can confirm that Conor McGregor has re-entered the USADA testing pool as of Sunday, October 8, 2023. We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. The rules also allow USADA to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results.”
Unfortunately, there’s uncertainty about whether the UFC will adhere to the six-month or longer requirement, as USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program as of January 1, 2024.
Tygart expressed his disappointment for UFC athletes who rely on the independent, gold-standard global program to ensure a clean, safe, and fair octagon. He also criticized UFC leadership for potentially compromising the health of fighters.
The statement continued,
“The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months. One UFC commentator echoed this, recently declaring that USADA should not oversee the UFC program since we held firm to the six-month rule involving McGregor and since we do not allow fighters without an approved medical basis to use performance-enhancing drugs like experimental, unapproved peptides or testosterone for healing or injuries simply to get back in the octagon.”
