MMA Fan? You Need to Hear What Conor McGregor Said About Those 'Banned Drugs' Reports
Hold onto your hats, MMA fanatics, because this one is wild! The New York Times just dropped a report last week claiming Conor McGregor, "Notorious," used “powerful, banned drugs” back in 2021 during his recovery from that gruesome leg break injury at UFC 264. And neither McGregor nor the UFC are shrugging this off. They’ve both hit back hard, and their reactions are something else!
McGregor's Shocking Reaction to the Report
McGregor himself didn’t hold back when Yahoo Sports asked him about the mess. He called it "Shocking! Shocking! A man’s private medical, from the most devastating injury that you’ll see in combat sports. The whole thing is strange to me." He tried for an exemption from USADA, then the UFC’s anti-doping partner, for special banned drugs. His surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, even supported it, but it was denied! So, he removed himself from the USADA testing pool to "focus fully on his recovery," only re-entering when he prepped for his fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.
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McGregor didn't address the report's veracity, but he did talk about the stakes. He emphasized that after a catastrophic injury, the objective should be to "Get this man back on his feet." He mentioned a 20 percent chance his leg wouldn’t even join back together, leading to a "non-union." That’s terrifying! He stressed, "I have children to raise and play with," highlighting the life-altering impact. And here’s the kicker: he even said, "I don’t even know. If you’re going to ask what was I on, I don’t even know. I don’t want to know." He just wanted to walk again. He’s been in the testing pool for months, never failed, and claims he’s been tested around 15 times just this year!
The UFC Fires Back Hard
It’s not just McGregor who’s ticked off. The UFC also released its own statement, attacking "any insinuation that what took place was out of bounds or that McGregor was the inciting incident for the UFC’s break from USADA." The company backed McGregor up, saying he sustained a "potentially career-ending injury" and followed the advice of Dr. Neal ElAttrache for his recovery. The UFC insists McGregor "maintained proper communication with our team throughout, remaining in full compliance with the rules of our comprehensive drug program." And get this: the UFC stated McGregor has been tested 19 times over the past two years, with 12 of those tests in 2026 alone, making him "the most tested athlete during this time." That's a lot of testing, and it definitely throws a wrench into the narrative!
Where does this leave "Notorious" and his highly anticipated return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303? With both McGregor and the UFC pushing back so strongly against these reports, it’s clear this story isn’t going away soon. It adds a whole new layer of intrigue to his comeback. We’ll be watching every step, Emerald City!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.