Conor McGregor had hoped to make his UFC comeback against Michael Chandler in December, but it appears that he has given up on that prospect after failing to rejoin the USADA testing pool in time.
Only a week ago, McGregor outlined an ambitious plan for his return to the Octagon and named three potential opponents.
During an interview with TalkSport McGregor said “Chandler next in December and then [Justin] Gaethje, BMF, and then we’ll do the Nate [Diaz] trilogy,”
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However, before a fighter is cleared to compete, they must first spend at least six months in the testing pool as part of the UFC’s USADA-led anti-doping programme. According to the USADA website, McGregor has not participated in any testing since the third quarter of 2022, as observed by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
Since breaking his leg during a UFC fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021, McGregor has not competed.
Brock Lesnar was once given a pass by the UFC to avoid the six-month testing period so he could participate at UFC 200 in 2016, but he later tested positive for a prohibited substance. A similar exception for McGregor probably wouldn’t go over well with the other fighters.
On the 31st season of the reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, McGregor competed against Chandler as a coach. They’re meant to fight one another eventually, but Chandler just admitted he’s getting impatient waiting for McGregor.
The comeback of Conor McGregor has not been updated, according to UFC president Dana White, who stated this following Saturday’s UFC 292, and it is more likely to occur in 2024.
McGregor begged Endeavour CEO Ari Emanuel and the Nevada Athletic Commission to find a method to make it easier for him to return, but he did not address his testing status in his series of audio notes.
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