McGregor’s hopes of fighting at UFC 296 ‘appear over’ after rape accusation
Conor McGregor‘s return to the UFC this year appears over as he faces a rape accusation.
The former two-division UFC champion was expected to return to the octagon after over two years out with a bout against Michael Chandler this year.
The pair coached against each other in the latest season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ this year with a fight between the two fighters expected to take place before the end of 2023.
However, the Irishman is currently facing the rape allegation by a woman, who has claimed that she was assaulted at the Kaseya Center during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat on June 9.
READ MORE: Conor McGregor speaks out over rape accuser’s ‘changed’ story as video of two emerges
McGregor denies the accusation but the ongoing nature of the investigation could hamper his return to the ring.
Alongside the legal issues, the 34-year-old has faced a ticking clock on his re-entering into the USADA drug testing pool ever since he left it following his leg break against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
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(Image: Getty Images)
According to MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter, inquiries made to USADA about McGregor’s status has gone “unanswered”.
He tweeted: “The USADA athlete test history was updated yesterday and did not include any samples submitted by Conor McGregor.
“This does not necessarily mean that he has not re-enrolled in the program, however several inquiries made to USADA regarding his status that have gone unanswered.”
(Image: AP)
In order for his return, McGregor must be in the testing pool for at least six months and return two negative test results but a 2023 comeback looks less and less likely as the days go by.
The ‘Notorious’ has been inactive in recent years, having fought just four times in the last five years while missing the entirety of 2022 due to rehabbing his broken ankle.
Questions whether his desire to fight have constantly been in question since his big-money bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2017 where McGregor reportedly earned $100million (£78million).
(Image: Zuffa LLC)
With the news regarding McGregor’s status with USADA to be up in the air, some fans are beginning to lose interest in whether the UFC’s biggest star makes his long-awaited return to the sport.
One fan wrote: “I’m losing excitement by the day for this fight tbh. I do think Conor intends to keep fighting, but the longer this takes, the more I just get tired of hearing about.”
