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Conor McGregor is taking the last necessary step to mark his return to the UFC.
United States Anti-Doping Agency officials on Friday confirmed in a statement to MMA Fighting that McGregor is expected to rejoin the UFC’s anti-doping program for drug testing in advance of his next fight. The statement arrived after McGregor said “that’s done” when asked if he is getting back into the testing pool.
Under the UFC’s anti-doping program rules, fighters who retire or remove themselves from the testing pool must undergo six months of drug testing before being allowed to compete again.
“We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and as he confirmed today in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately,” a USADA official wrote in the statement. “Like other athletes who come out of retirement, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, McGregor will be subject to testing for at least six months and must provide at least two negative samples before being permitted to compete.
“The purpose of this rule is to ensure that all athletes who are not subject to a period of testing are adequately tested over a reasonable period of time before competing to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.”
McGregor is expected to clash with fellow Ultimate Fighter 31 coach Michael Chandler later this year, but no official date has been set. Based on the date of McGregor’s return to the UFC’s anti-doping program – and assuming he provides negative test results – he should be eligible to compete again in either November or December.
The UFC hasn’t made any official announcements regarding cards in either month, though the promotion is expected to return to Madison Square Garden in New York CIty in November.
McGregor suffered a devastating broken leg in his previous outing against Dustin Poirier in 2021 and subsequently withdrew from the USADA drug testing pool. Typically fighters under contract to the UFC are only allowed to exit the testing pool during retirement, which explains USADA’s language in the statement.
McGregor has been adamant about fighting again ever since his injury, but he has walked a long road back to recovery. He eventually signed onto star in the new season of TUF 31 with Chandler as his fellow coach in advance of a fight that’s expected to take place at either welterweight or middleweight.
With news of McGregor’s plan to rejoin the UFC’s anti-doping program, that’s likely one major hurdle cleared before he can officially fight again.
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