Conor McGregor Has Submitted Paperwork To Re-Enter Drug Testing Protocols Meaning His Return Is Imminent

Robbie Fox10/08/2023 3:05 AM

Could the wheels actually be in motion for Conor McGregor's return?!

Honestly - I think so! I think it's finally happening!

Giphy Images.

The main obstacle that the Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler fight has faced in getting booked is that Conor McGregor hasn't been in the USADA drug testing pool since getting injured at UFC 264 in July 2021, making him ineligible to fight in the UFC.

I assume many of you are now thinking, "Well, why hasn't he been tested over the last few years?"

I'm no doctor, but I'd imagine that one might recommend you get hopped up on steroids after you snap your leg in half like Conor McGregor snapped his leg in half - and that's obviously a big no-no with USADA. Plus, McGregor's spent a lot of the last couple years recovering on a yacht and doesn't want some nerd knocking on his door at 4am to watch him piss. Very understandable.

So Conor removed himself from USADA testing altogether while his leg healed; but then, once you re-enter the drug testing pool, you need to be in it for six months/have two clean tests submitted before you can fight again.

McGregor has made a few vague posts over the last few months about wanting to re-join the testing pool, but not being allowed/being held back from doing what he loves - which confused all of us, but may have been at the recommendation of his doctors or something.

That's all in the past, though, because as of this week, paperwork has been submitted for the journey to his return to begin….

McGregor made this post on Wednesday, and Dana White confirmed it tonight at the Dawson/Green post-fight presser.

UFC 300 will likely take place in April of next year, exactly six months from now; and Michael Chandler just told Ariel Helwani that's the target date for the fight this week….

….which is VERY exciting to think about.

McGregor has been back in the gym lately, looking great….

….and just received his BJJ blackbelt after twenty years of training (and ten years spent as a brown belt) which makes me hopeful that he's back to being motivated.

Time to break the tri-color flag back out, rip through 'Notorious' and 'McGregor Forever' on Netflix, and prepare to get my heart broken all over again.