Dana White unbothered Conor McGregor isn't in USADA testing pool yet
Many have reservations about whether the grudge match between “The Ultimate Fighter” coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will actually happen in 2023, but UFC president Dana White doesn’t appear to be one of them.
During a recent interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, White all but shrugged off the fact that McGregor – who has yet to rejoin the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s drug testing pool – still needs to undergo six months of testing before being cleared to fight in the UFC again.
“We’ll see how that plays out,” White said. “They’re saying (McGregor needs to be tested for six months) now, but who knows? I don’t talk about [things] until [things] happen. To sit here and think hypothetically how a million different things can happen, no idea. I’m focused on what’s happening (right now). … Who cares what USADA says, we’ll see what happens when it happens.”
Although a date and card have yet to be announced, McGregor and Chandler are expected to fight each other following their season of “TUF” concludes on Aug. 15. The two got physical during the most recent episode of the show after Kurt Holobaugh beat Lee Hammond, extending Team Chandler's win streak to six.
It's been nearly two years since McGregor (22-6) last fought. He suffered a broken left leg in his last fight against Dustin Poirier. Conversely, Chandler (23-8) is only eight months removed from his last fight (also against Poirier). He was tested by USADA as recently as two weeks ago.
Per MMA Fighting, USADA officials contacted McGregor and his camp about rejoining the testing pool in May. According to the UFC’s anti-doping policy, McGregor must be tested for a six-month period and submit two negative samples.
It is also possible that McGregor could receive an exemption from the six-month testing window by the USADA itself, though he would have to prove “exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete provided that in either instance the athlete provides a minimum of two negative samples before returning to competition.”
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