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CONOR MCGREGOR CLAIMS USADA WON’T MAKE HIM WAIT 6 MONTHS TO FIGHT, USADA SAYS OTHERWISE

By David Tees on 3/16/2023 9:15 PM

Former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor is currently coaching opposite former Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 31, which starts airing on ESPN this May.

In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, McGregor stated that he has to pass two drug tests from USADA in order to fight again, despite the six month testing period USADA makes fighters who leave the testing pool wait before competing again.

“I’m not rushing nothing,” McGregor said (transcript via MMA Junkie). “There’s hurdles and whatnot. But we’re in contact. We’re in constant communication, and there’s an interview scheduled and a meeting (that will) happen, and then it will be official. But the six months thing, what they had said was two clean tests, and off I go. So I assume it won’t be too long.”

USADA rules state that when a UFC fighter retires or otherwise leaves the testing pool for any reason, they have to pass at least two drug tests and be available for random testing for six months in total before they are cleared to fight again.

A USADA official recently issued a statement to TSN Sports about McGregor’s statement, again stating that he has to be in the testing pool for six months before competing again:

“While we meet with all athletes who enter or re-enter the testing pool, we do not currently have a meeting set with Conor and, as of (Thursday), we have not received notice of his coming out of retirement to compete. The UFC rules are clear that, in addition to two negative tests, an athlete must make themself available for testing six months before returning to competition. This is a fair way to ensure an athlete does not use the retirement status to gain an unfair advantage by using prohibited substances during the retirement period, which would enhance their performance unfairly if they ultimately decide to return to competition. While the rules permit the UFC to make an exception to the six-month rule in exceptional circumstances, when the strict application of the rule would be manifestly unfair to the athlete, our position, which we have made clear, is that Conor should be in the testing pool for the full six-month period.”