Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling would like to how Conor McGregor bulked up so much.
Talk of McGregor’s methods for his recent gains has been dominating conversations ever since the revelation that the Irishman had removed himself from the USADA testing pool following an injury suffered at UFC 264. Aljamain Sterling jumped on the bandwagon, sharing his thoughts on McGregor’s new chiseled physique during his ‘Weekly Scraps‘ podcast.
“The guy is jacked as ever. I’d like to know what he’s on because his arms are ginormous. His head. His chest. He’s jacked, bro. Lookin’ like a bodybuilder now, but I can imagine what it feels like to just be jacked and happy. Not really cutting weight. Remember, he used to make 145, and how awful he would look. I don’t know if you guys remember that era of Conor, but if you go back, you’ll see that he would just look like death.
“Conor would always make the weight. He would always show up… He always was bigger. He was always, for the most part, faster. Longer. More powerful with his range, his length. He had that optimal body type for fighting at 145.”
McGregor has acknowledged his withdrawal from the USADA testing pool, claiming he would receive an exemption allowing him to bypass the standard six months of required testing. With an exemption, McGregor would only be required to undergo testing twice before being cleared for a return, but USADA officials have already publicly acknowledged that McGregor receiving such an exemption is highly unlikely.
USADA Throws a Monkey Wrench in Conor McGregor’s Plans to Skirt the Rules
USADA recently updated the rules for retired athletes returning to the testing pool, requiring them to disclose any banned substances they used within the 12 months prior. Depending on those substances, a fighter could still find themselves with a six-month waiting period even if granted an exemption.
“Upon being added to the UFC Anti-Doping Program, athletes are also required to declare prohibited substances they have used in the previous 12 months, prior to being in USADA’s testing program.
“An athlete who makes such a declaration, depending on the substance, will be required to refrain from competition for a period of at least six months and provide at least two negative samples to ensure that they do not compete in a UFC bout with a performance advantage.”
McGregor seemingly responded to the news in a now-deleted tweet saying, “I changed the game once again hahaha.”
USADA have confirmed that TJ Dillashaw is no longer enrolled in their program.
Here is their statement, which includes terms for retired athletes who wish to re-enroll in the program 👇 pic.twitter.com/rxJmU9o5j8
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 6, 2022
