Following the revelation (or accusation, depending who you ask) that a bulked-up Conor McGregor has not been drug tested once in 2022, the United States Anti-Doping Agency has released a statement. The initial report was that Conor McGregor, who has remained absent from the Octagon since July 2021, was one of only a handful of fighters on the UFC roster who have not been tested in 2022.
USADA officials clarified the situation in a recent 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.
USADA Responds to Accusations Surrounding McGregor’s 2022 Drug Testing
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’s head coach, John Kavanagh of SBG Ireland, pointed out that “The Notorious” was tested frequently in 2021. However, although all athletes in the USADA pool are subject to random testing, in reality resources are often more targeted than random. Factors determining targeting include:
- Physical demands of the sport and possible performance-enhancing effect that doping may elicit
- Available doping analysis statistics
- Available research on doping trends
- History of doping in the sport and/or discipline
- Training periods and the competition calendar
- Information received on possible doping practices
Conor McGregor’s absence from competition may well be a factor USADA’s decision not to test him thus far. It looks like the Irish superstar, who remains the biggest name in combat sports, is turning his attention to Hollywood for now. McGregor is set to star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a remake of Roadhouse, and has looked far bulkier than ever before in recent Instagram posts.
It seems like the former two-division champion won’t be returning to the Octagon until at least 2023, if he returns at all.
Do you think Conor McGregor is dodging USADA testing, or is he simply too inactive for them to bother testing him? Let us know in the comments.
