USADA announces end of UFC partnership as Conor McGregor re-enters testing pool

Conor McGregor is back in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing pool, although it won’t exist in the UFC for much longer.

On Wednesday, USADA CEO Travis Tygart made a two-part announcement. He confirmed that McGregor’s long-awaited re-entry into the drug-testing pool happened Sunday but also revealed the anti-doping partnership with the UFC will conclude Jan. 1, 2024.

The announcements come after months of uncertainty regarding McGregor’s return to the octagon and what drug-testing policy hurdles existed for him as he recovered from a broken leg suffered in July 2021.

“We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months,” Tygart said in a written statement. “The rules also allow USADA to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results.

“Unfortunately, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of January 1, 2024, USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed USADA on Monday, October 9, that it was going in a different direction.”

McGregor and UFC CEO Dana White have hinted at a McGregor return for more than a year. McGregor was a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” opposite Michael Chandler, who the UFC advertised he would fight at the end of the season. However, the season concluded airing in August, and still no fight is on the books.

The UFC and USADA have been partners since 2015. The anti-doping agency has tested the UFC’s athletes in and out of competition for more than eight years. Tygart voiced disappointment in the program’s conclusion, as well as certain specific incidents in the months leading up to Wednesday’s announcement.

“We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon,” Tygart said. “The UFC’s move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under USADA’s leadership.

“The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months. One UFC commentator echoed this, recently declaring that USADA should not oversee the UFC program since we held firm to the six-month rule involving McGregor, and since we do not allow fighters without an approved medical basis to use performance-enhancing drugs like experimental, unapproved peptides or testosterone for healing or injuries simply to get back in the Octagon.”

Tygart concluded by saying USADA will continue to carry out the UFC’s drug testing program until Dec. 31, 2023.

“Fighters’ long-term health and safety –­ in addition to a fair and level playing field – are more important to USADA than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes,” Tygart said. “USADA is proud of the work we’ve done over the past eight years to clean up the UFC, and we will continue to provide our unparalleled service to UFC athletes through the remainder of our current contract, which ends December 31, 2023. As always, we will continue to uphold the rights and voices of clean athletes in all sport.”

The UFC has yet to comment publicly about the impending separation with USADA and whether or not the promotion will continue drug-testing efforts beyond the end of the year. UFC broadcaster Brendan Fitzgerald said on X, formerly Twitter, that the promotion will still have “3rd party independent testing, just not paying for the USADA name tag.”

MMA Junkie has reached out to the UFC but the promotion has yet to respond.