Conor McGregor is the only UFC fighter yet to be drug tested by USADA this year despite his plans to return to the Octagon in the coming months, according to reports.
McGregor, 34, has been out of action since suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, which kept him out of training for close to a year.
Now the Irishman is closing in on a return to action after recent footage on social media showed him looking sharp in the gym, with potential bouts against Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje mooted and Floyd Mayweather also keen to bring him back over to boxing for another money-spinning crossover event.
Conor McGregor is allegedly the only UFC fighter yet to be drug tested by USADA this year
However, despite his imminent comeback plans McGregor is the only UFC fighter to have not undergone USADA testing in 2022, according to reports from American TV channel TSN.
While he has not competed in the Octagon in over a year, USADA rules state that inactive fighters remain enrolled in the testing programme unless they notify the UFC of their retirement from MMA or their contract is terminated.
McGregor would therefore have been subject to the same regulations as active fighters, raising concerns about his alleged exclusion from testing this year.
McGregor has been out of action since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier last year
But the Irishman has returned to full training as he closes in on a return to the Octagon
And he looked very sharp in recent training footage shared on his social media accounts
USADA said in a statement: ‘Once UFC athletes are enrolled in the testing program, they are subject to testing – even when not competing – unless they notify the UFC of their retirement, their contract is terminated, or they are otherwise removed from the program.
‘In the event of an athlete’s return to the UFC, they are required to remain in the USADA testing pool for six months before they are permitted to compete. Similar to World Anti-Doping Agency rules, the UFC may grant an exemption to the six-month written notice rule in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to the athlete, but in both cases under the UFC rules, the athlete must provide at least two negative samples before returning to competition. We do not comment on the testing pool status of any particular athlete.’
McGregor has a number of options on the table ahead of his return from injury, including a surprise boxing proposal from former foe Mayweather.
The latter came out on top when they first contested a unique crossover bout in August 2017, stopping his fellow PPV star inside 10 rounds.
McGregor has a number of options on the table ahead of his return, including another boxing proposal from former foe Floyd Mayweather
And in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail last week, Mayweather revealed his plans to entice McGregor into another encounter next year.
Ahead of his latest exhibition in Japan over the weekend, the boxing legend said: ‘I want to go out there this weekend in Tokyo and have fun [against Mikuru Asakura]. Then I have another exhibition in Dubai in November and me and Conor McGregor in 2023
‘We don’t know if it’s going to be an exhibition or a real fight. But there’s been talks of both. I would prefer an exhibition.’
Yet after hearing Mayweather’s challenge, McGregor fired back on Instagram by writing: ‘#notinterested’.