USADA has confirmed that Conor McGregor will be re-entering the testing pool in the near future.
McGregor’s last UFC fight in April 2021 ended in devastating fashion. The former two-division world champion suffered a severe leg injury against Dustin Poirier, leading to an abrupt ending in the first round. After nearly two years of recovery, ‘The Notorious’ plans to fight again later this year against Michael Chandler.
McGregor decides to remove himself from the USADA testing pool during his recovery. As a result, he must randomly pass drug tests for six months before being approved, which created concerns about when he would fight again. ‘The Notorious’ appeared alongside Eddie Hearn in Ireland on Friday and had this to say about his ongoing situation with USADA:
“That’s done, man. By year-end, I’m back in that cage having competed. I’m gearing up, ready to go… It [the fight date with Michael Chandler] will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter.”
Conor says his USADA issue is done and the fight with Michael Chandler will be announced during #TUF31 👀 pic.twitter.com/xMjzSKCzQn
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 19, 2023
USADA confirms Conor McGregor has re-entered the testing pool
Throughout Conor McGregor’s complicated situation, USADA has released public statements for transparency. In the past, ‘The Notorious’ made several claims that were later debunked by USADA. Once McGregor provided an update to the media, the drug testing agency released this statement to confirm what he said:
“We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and as he confirmed today in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately. Like other athletes who come out of retirement, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, McGregor will be subject to testing for at least six months and must prove at least two negative samples before being permitted to compete. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that all athletes who are not subject to a period of testing are adequately tested over a reasonable period of time before competing to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.”
On May 30, the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 will air with Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler as the coaches. Now that ‘The Notorious’ has re-entered the USADA testing pool, the highly-anticipated matchup against Chandler can be expected for November or December of this year.
Statement via USADA regarding Conor McGregor's comments earlier today: pic.twitter.com/MBokE7dEQ5
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 19, 2023
