A number of noteworthy questions are currently lurking in the world of combat sports. The proposed fight between the tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg undoubtedly is the hottest topic of the current times. But, there also has been quite some talks on the noted UFC icon Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon. Numerous fans had lit up their hopes of seeing McGregor fight when the UFC supremo, Dana White, announced the election of McGregor as the TUF 31 coach.

TUF viewers and most UFC fans know the fighters elected as TUF coaches for a season lock horns against each other after the end of the show. Hence, most fans expected ‘Mystic Mac’ to return with a highly enthralling bout against his TUF 31 opponent, Michael Chandler. But, even after so many speculations from the fans, the coveted McGregor vs Chandler bout seeming is dwindling. It was reported that McGregor failed to enlist himself into the USADA’s testing pool within its given deadline, which will restrict him from competing in any UFC event this year.

Everything you need to know about Conor McGregor’s USADA pool failure

Most UFC fans know that the sport of MMA has often been plagued with the usage of steroids and PEDs by athletes. To restrict the same, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) tests every athlete for six months prior to their bout, ensuring that they don’t enter the octagon under the influence of any PEDs.

McGregor had his last UFC fight at UFC 264 in July 2021 and hasn’t been tested since then. It’s quite understandable that he will need clearance from the agency before getting back to competing inside the octagon.

This year’s last UFC event, the UFC 296, has been scheduled for 16 December. So, it’s quite easy to calculate that all the UFC athletes intending to compete this year had to enlist themselves inside the USADA’s testing pool by 16 June at the latest. But, even after the USADA’s clear announcement of their deadline, McGregor still failed to get himself enlisted inside their testing pool.

The noted MMA coverage personality, Aaron Bronsteter, tweeted, “The USADA athlete test history was updated yesterday and did not include any samples submitted by Conor McGregor. This does not necessarily mean that he has not re-enrolled in the program, however several inquiries made to USADA regarding his status that have gone unanswered.”

Evidently, McGregor’s failure to enlist himself in the USADA’s testing pool shocked the majority of UFC fans.

Can Conor McGregor fight without joining the USADA pool?

Steroids and PEDs have caused multiple athletes to raise their voices and campaign against them. With noted fighters like Georges St-Pierre advocating for the cause, the UFC finally decided to include the USADA in their program to restrict the usage of PEDs in the sport.

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Hence, it’s quite understandable that the rules will be the same for every athlete signed under the promotion. It can be safely said that it’s mandatory for even McGregor to pass the USADA’s anti-doping tests before he gains clearance to compete inside the octagon once more. While exceptions may be made by the promotion on a case-by-case basis, no one knows if the Irishman qualifies for it.

What are the USADA rules that are delaying Conor’s return?

As per the USADA rules, every UFC athlete has to go through a specific number and type of tests over six months. Within this period, USADA representatives might pop up anywhere before the athletes and ask them to submit their samples. This time period of six months became the biggest restriction for McGregor.

McGregor failed USADA’s 16 June 2023 deadline for all the athletes who wished to compete at the last event of this year. So, even if McGregor enrolls himself into the USADA testing pool right now. He still won’t complete his six-month tenure inside the USADA testing pool, which would restrict him from fighting this year.

Conor McGregor does not have to enter the USADA drug-testing pool before entering The Ultimate Fighter series as a coach

Most UFC fans are aware of the promotion’s very own fighting-based reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. The aim of the show is to highlight young MMA prospects who fight other contenders on the show to gain a UFC contract. The UFC also elects two of its current fighters as the head coaches. They pick their teams containing the prospects and compete against the other coach to get one of their own team members to victory.

Hence, it’s quite understandable that TUF coaches don’t need to go through USADA tests in order to play the role. TUF doesn’t require the coaches to take on each other inside the octagon. So, quite apparently, McGregor also didn’t have to enter the USADA testing pool in order to become a coach in this year’s TUF.

 Are there any accusations about Conor McGregor stopping him from a return?

McGregor stayed busy with a number of other affairs while he was supposed to submit his samples to the USADA. But one of them got him into quite some trouble. Recently McGregor visited a match between the noted NBA powerhouses, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets. However, he got into a scripted fight with the Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, whom he also knocked out with a solid left.

Watch this Story – Conor McGregor provides an update on his future after missing USADA deadline

This caused a lot of chaos as the person playing the mascot had to be hospitalized. People got to know much later that it was a promotional gig for a pain relief spray. Despite it being a planned gimmick, the mascot was injured.

When will Conor McGregor fight if he doesn’t enter the USADA testing pool?

Well, this is probably the biggest question that might be ruling the minds of most UFC fans. But as Aaron Bronsteter revealed, the USADA has also maintained silence about whether McGregor has enrolled in any of their testing programs after 16 June 2023. Hence, it’s understandable that nothing can be documented about McGregor’s return timeline.

However, most UFC fans will agree that McGregor will also have to gain clearance from the USADA prior to stepping inside the UFC octagon. How soon do you think he will achieve it?