The return of Conor McGregor

The UFC has its big star back. Dana White, the president of the company, shocked the world by announcing that Conor McGregor would return to the cage. The Irishman is scheduled to face Michael Chandler at the end of the year (no date or place has been set yet) since both fighters will be coaches at the UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF), that will air from May 30 to August 15th. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has announced that he will be placed on the test team so that he can compete.

McGregor walked away from the cage due to a fractured tibia that forced him to undergo surgery at the end of his trilogy with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 when he kicked, landed badly, and sprained his left ankle. McGregor was the first fighter in history to be proclaimed a double champion of the company (he held the lightweight and featherweight titles at the same time), and he is a favorite for many fans. The 34-year-old Irishman has been through a long recovery process but is finally back.

Due to his injury, Mcgregor withdrew from the USADA drug testing pool. After not being on the list that allows all UFC fighters to get back to competing again, USADA officially issued a statement announcing that McGregor will enter the test team so he can get back to the ring with Chandler.

“We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and as he confirmed today in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately,” USADA wrote in a statement Saturday. “Like other athletes who come out of retirement, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, McGregor will be subject to testing for at least six months and must provide at least two negative samples before being permitted to compete.”

The Notorious will have to spend six months under tests and obtain a minimum of two negative tests to be able to return to the cage. “The purpose of this rule is to ensure that all athletes who are not subject to a period of testing are adequately tested over a reasonable period of time before competing to ensure a level playing field for all athletes,” shared USADA.

If McGregor passes the tests clean, he should be able to fight Chandler at the end of the year. Dana White has assured that the official announcement of the fight will soon be made, with an official date and place. “He is resolving the paperwork with USADA. I don’t know how long it will take, but he’s working it out. It’s all running. We look forward to announcing a big fight at MGM (Las Vegas) in November or December, “said the UFC president in an Instagram Live.