After loads of speculation and anticipation from fight fans, UFC star Conor McGregor has revealed the date for his octagon return. McGregor’s last fight in UFC resulted in a horrible leg injury as he lost to Dustin Poirier. After that, The Notorious took a long hiatus and entered rehab for an efficient recovery.
Several believed Conor would never return to the octagon and had retired for good. Yet, he surprised his fans after appearing as a coach on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. The Notorious coached against Michael Chandler and the two were supposed to fight each other after the season ended.
However, due to complications in Conor’s life, the bout kept being postponed. Although Conor assured his fans of a comeback at the end of the year, his actions were not assuring enough. That said, McGregor recently announced that his fight with Chandler is a go.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 27, 2023
The Irish fighter took to Twitter and posted an image of his fight date with Chandler displayed on UFC’s official website. The fight is scheduled for December 16 and McGregor vs Chandler will be the main event of UFC 296. Michael Chandler has been prepping for this moment for quite a long time and Conor has also started with his fight camp.
With both fighters in training camp, fight fans will have to wait 111 days to witness Conor’s return. However, this still raises the question has Conor been properly drug tested for his upcoming fight?
Is Conor McGregor cleared by the USADA to compete in UFC 296?
Former UFC double champion Conor McGregor recently confirmed that he will be fighting Michael Chandler in December. Although, the news has fight fans excited for Conor’s return, several questions has he been properly tested. After his horrible leg injury at UFC 264, Conor McGregor voluntarily took his name off USADA’s drug testing program.
During his time in rehabilitation, McGregor gained couple pounds of muscle in a short duration, which raised some eyebrows. Many even claimed that Conor was using steroids for accelerated healing and a quick comeback. While the claims were not verified, McGregor was still obligated to re-enlist with USADA’s drug testing program six months before his fight.
During that time, Conor would have to test negative for banned substances which would then qualify him for fighting in UFC. However, McGregor missed re-enlisting on time and many assumed that he won’t be able to make a comeback this year.
UFC President Dana White also provided a vague statement not confirming any news of Conor’s situation with USADA. While it is not clear how long has Conor been in the testing pool, his return seems to be confirmed. McGregor clearly has the Dana White privilege and might even get an exemption from USADA for his upcoming bout in December.
