UFC superstar Conor McGregor recently came under fire for using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in his recovery efforts stemming from his 2021 broken leg.
Amongst UFC faithful, McGregor retiring to juice up and heal his injury was a fairly open secret for quite a while. Last week, the New York Times published an in-depth article detailing McGregor’s use of PEDs and slamming his brief foray into retirement. There were also some insinuations that McGregor’s public feud with the United States Anti-Doing
Agency (USADA) may have resulted in the UFC’s 2024 separation from USADA.
On Tuesday, UFC released an official statement defending McGregor on both ends. Per the promotion, McGregor did only what was necessary to heal from a “potentially career-ending injury” and did so strictly on the guidance of an orthopedic surgeon. McGregor’s extensive drug testing history was also cited, and any idea that UFC kicked out USADA because of McGregor is “categorically false.”
Read the full statement below:
“In 2021, Conor McGregor sustained a potentially career-ending injury and sought medical guidance from leading orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who advised the appropriate recovery and rehabilitation protocol. As a result, McGregor did not compete for five years and maintained proper communication with our team throughout, remaining in full compliance with the rules of our comprehensive drug program.
McGregor has been tested 19 times over the past two years, including 12 times in 2026, making him the most tested athlete during this time.
Any suggestion that UFC’s decision to end its partnership with USADA was related to Conor McGregor is categorically false. Internal communications and documentation clearly show that discussions regarding a transition away from USADA began months before any conversations involving McGregor.
This narrative is a continued attempt by USADA leadership to misrepresent the facts surrounding UFC’s unilateral decision to terminate our agreement with them and instead choose to partner with a far more competent, organized, and sophisticated testing group comprised of Drug Free Sport, Combat Sports Anti-Doping, and SMRTL labratories.
The health and safety of our athletes remain our highest priority. We fully support Conor McGregor and look forward to his return to the Octagon this summer.“
We’re now less than one month away from McGregor’s return to the Octagon versus Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11. Barring another whereabouts violation or broken toe in the next few weeks, it would appear that the five-year McGregor drought is finally coming to an end.
