Dana White has said that Conor McGregor’s return to the USADA testing pool is imminent, a necessary step before the Dubliner returns to the cage to take on fellow ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ coach Michael Chandler in his UFC return.
McGregor has stated that the necessary paperwork has been submitted to USADA but speaking to reporters in Las Vegas on Saturday, including The Mac Life, UFC CEO Dana White said that some formalities remain before the process is official.
“He is not officially in the USADA testing pool. He submitted the paperwork, probably by Monday he’ll be submitted. Again, don’t hold me to that, but the paperwork is submitted, next week sometime.”
McGregor is expected to face former Bellator champion Chandler in his return to the cage in what will be his first fight since he suffered a serious injury to his lower left leg in his most recent fight in the Octagon. It was McGregor’s second significant injury suffered in UFC competition, following a knee injury sustained in a win against Max Holloway a decade ago which led to a near one-year absence.
The timing seems to align itself with the UFC’s forthcoming UFC 300 card expected to take place in Las Vegas in the spring, but White remained tight-lipped on the specifics.
I’m back in the pool. Will be doing my stint at high elevation before the bout.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 8, 2023
“I literally have nothing planned for Conor McGregor right now,” White said. “The paperwork is being submitted. We’ll play it by ear, see how things work out, there’s still a lot of things that have to happen as far as fights go and then we’ll decide where he’s going to land.”
