Hours After Dana White Confirms Conor McGregor’s 2023 Return, Irishman Backs UFC President’s Claims for Michael Chandler Fight Despite USADA Restrictions

The MMA world is skeptical about Conor McGregor returning this year to fight Michael Chandler. However, Dana White recently revealed that he is totally sure that the Irishman will fight in 2023. Following those comments, the former double champion doubled down on the UFC president’s claim on social media.

Earlier this year, Dana White announced that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler would go head-to-head following their casting as coaches for the 31st edition of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. However, McGregor didn’t enroll in the USADA 6-month testing pool process, which led people to believe that ‘Notorious’s comeback fight may not take place in 2023. But Dana White doesn’t think that it will be an obstacle.

Conor McGregor and Dana White don’t care about the USADA?

In an interview with Aaron Bronsteter, Dana White made a bold statement regarding McGregor’s USADA situation. He said, “The Conor thing. Who the hell knows how that’s gonna play out?” Moreover, he disregarded USADA’s procedures. White added, “Who cares what USADA says? We will see what happens when it happens.” Dana White has assured the fans that the Chandler vs McGregor fight will come to fruition this year.

Following The UFC president’s comments, Conor McGregor took to Instagram and shared a story of Dana White’s comments, seemingly confirming that he will fight this year. He hasn’t spoken about the USADA situation himself but has backed the 53-year-old’s claim regarding his fight with Michael Chandler.

Will UFC give ‘Notorious’ a free pass?

When Brock Lesnar returned to the UFC for the UFC 200 pay-per-view, the promotion gave him a special exemption to fight Mark Hunt. He did not undergo the UFC’s Anti-Doping program and the USADA’s testing process. Now, some are speculating that Conor McGregor might get the same treatment for his fight against Michael Chandler. It appears that White will not hesitate to grant McGregor an exemption if he fights this year.

However, the last time the UFC exempted a fighter, he later tested positive. Despite constantly boasting about bulking up and looking almost unrecognizable, McGregor admitted to using banned substances to “heal.” It remains to be seen if he gets the same treatment as Brock Lesnar.

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Conor McGregor is arguably the biggest name in the history of the UFC. He has mentioned several times about the influence he has on the promotion. This was apparent when he told Michael Chandler that he’ll do as he was told during the first episode of TUF 31. We will have to wait and see how that pans out in the days to come.

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