Conor McGregor is back in the USADA testing pool.
As of October 8, Conor McGregor has re-entered the USADA testing pool. Under normal circumstances, McGregor would have to be in the pool for six months and submit two negative tests to be cleared to fight again.
However, USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping programing as of January 1, 2024.
-- pic.twitter.com/rem6aHYWkA
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 11, 2023
From USADA:
"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, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of January 1, 2024, USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed USADA on Monday, October 9, that it was going in a different direction.
We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon. The UFC's move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under USADA's leadership.
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.
Fighters long-term health and safety - in addition to a fair and level playing field - are more important to USADA than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes. USADA is proud of the work we've done over the past eight years to clean up the UFC, and we will continue to provide our unparalleled service to UFC athletes through the remainder of our current contract, which ends December 31, 2023. As always, we will continue to uphold the rights and voices of clean athletes in all
sport."
BREAKING: USADA announces that Conor McGregor has re-entered the UFC's anti-doping program and states that as of January 1, 2024, they will no longer be overseeing the UFC's anti-doping program. pic.twitter.com/H4X3gITvzW
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) October 11, 2023
It is unknown when McGregor will fight again.
He has not fought since July 2021 against Dustin Poirier. McGregor suffered a broken tibia the bout.
