USADA Exit and Conor McGregor’s Return: New Policy Under Dana White’s Era; Will the Irishman Get Any Exemptions

Conor McGregor is making a comeback now without the USADA haunting him. However, he may still have to take a look at the new policies before celebrating his grand return. In a recent revelation, policies regarding new and returning athletes’ testing were put out in the open.

And McGregor, who has been out of commission for well over a year, clearly fits in the latter category. So what is it that he needs to keep an eye out for? The situation might seem a tad bit confusing. McGregor’s samples are still being tested by the USADA since that takes a six-month period. Will he be tested again? Let’s break it down.

Conor McGregor and drug testing

The whole thing with the USADA may as well have been set off by McGregor himself. The USADA pointed at McGregor and potentially Joe Rogan for defaming them.  Dana White and the UFC vehemently defended themselves and all the parties it backed up. However, was there truth to the doping agency’s claims?

McGregor and his outspoken self had pointed fingers, calling it a “garbage organization”. And Rogan had never been too happy with their procedures either. In fact, many fighters were unhappy too. Like Jiri Prochazka, who had been tested a whopping 64 times in 2022. Now, the USADA is out, and a new policy has been released. Here’s the gist of it:

“A new or returning Athlete who admits or has an established and verifiable history of the Use, Attempted Use or Possession of clomiphene, a Non-Specified Method, or a Non-Specified Substance prohibited at all times by the UFC Prohibited List while the Athlete was not subject to an Anti-Doping Policy, shall not be permitted to compete in UFC Bouts until he/she has made him/herself available for Testing for a minimum period of 180 days . . .”

The testing has to be done 180 days before the athlete competes or one year after their last established usage, whichever of the two is shorter. It also speaks about Therapeutic Use Exemptions, which is using prohibited substances for faster physical healing. Something that may apply to Conor McGregor. But does he have to worry about it again?

Will McGregor be tested again?

The truth is, there’s no one way to tell. The policy states that a returning athlete not subjected to an anti-doping policy shall be tested. However, as it is now public knowledge, McGregor is being tested rapidly by the USADA. He is not someone who is not subjected to a policy.

Also Read: UFC-Bound Conor McGregor Teaches Manny Pacquiao Another Lesson After $8 Million Lawsuit, Floyd Mayweather Fight Announcement Trolled

However, he may have used prohibited substances to help himself heal faster. Does this mean he has to declare the use again? And if so, will it lead to being tested once again? There’s no way to tell. Either way, the testing will last a minimum of 180 days, and if McGregor has to go through it again, it’ll likely be a faster affair. But will it be fast enough? He announced his return in June 2024. Fans would be really mad if the fight was delayed any further. What are your thoughts?

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