Untested Conor McGregor still months away from return bout
- Doug Mattushek
- 6 February 2023
Conor McGregor still needs to re-enter the UFC's anti-doping program testing pool before his return to the octagon.
There was much media buzz following UFC overlord Dana White's announcement that McGregor would coach in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. But this was just a taster, as the main course is the coach across from him, Michael Chandler, whom McGregor will fight towards the end of 2023.
It's a decent move from the folks around the UFC's matchmaking boardroom, as it allows plenty - maybe even too much - time for rivalry and tension to build between the two lightweights as they managed their fighters on TUF.
I say too much, because things are rarely straightforward with McGregor and allowing this much runway gives the feisty Irishman more opportunity to go veer off course.
Never far away from making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, McGregor has been out of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's testing pool since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.
The UFC requires any athlete, even their cash cow, to undergo six months' worth of drug testing before they are allowed to compete for the promotion.
Speaking to MMAFighting.com, United States Anti-Doping Agency represetatives confirmed last week that McGrgor is still not in their testing pool.
"As we've confirmed before, as of today, Conor McGregor has not been reenrolled in the USADA testing pool, which he would have to be in for a minimum of six months and have at least two negative tests prior to any competition," they said.
"For all the obvious reasons, coaches are not in our testing pool and there is no requirement for him or other coaches to be in the testing pool just to coach. If there is eventually a plan for the coaches to fight each other, then he would have to be in the testing pool at least six months and have two negative tests before any fight."
Nonetheless, the ever-inspirational Chandler is eager to beat McGrgor twice in 2023.
"Conor is the fight that I wanted, he has expressed interest in wanting to fight me and now here we are," the American said on his YouTube channel.
"The competition starts right now. We're going to be stuck together in the same city for a month, or month and a half, but the competition is 24/7 the entire time. I want to win this thing... I don't just want to beat Conor later this year, I want to beat Conor badly on TUF. I don't even want him to win a fight.
"I cannot wait, this is something that I have wanted to do forever. I've wanted to take off the fighter cap and put on the coaching cap, to usher these young men and women into the opportunity of a lifetime. I get the opportunity to coach a handful of them, so now we build the hype and competition."
