Last Call for Conor McGregor: 48-Hour Deadline for 2023 Fight
The doors are closing on a 2023 return for UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Per the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) official rules, McGregor has until Friday June 16 to enter the drug testing pool, otherwise he won't be able to compete at UFC 296, which is the final UFC pay-per view of 2023.
This is because of rules concerning USADA's testing pool that state that athletes returning to the testing pool from retirement must be available for a period of six months before competing again. If McGregor doesn't meet the deadline, he falls outside of the six month window necessary to compete at UFC 296:
"Athletes are required to notify the UFC, in writing, of their intent to resume competing and to make themselves available for testing for a period of six months before returning to competition." (via USADA UFC Handbook)
The handbook also states that exemptions can be arranged "in exceptional circumstances," which is nebulous to say the least:
"UFC may grant an exemption to the six-month written notice rule in exceptional circumstances, or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete provided that in either instance the athlete provides a minimum of two negative samples before returning to competition."
The urgency is shared by USADA themselves, who released a statement concerning McGregor's position, per Marc Raimondi on Twitter, May 19:
"We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and he has confirmed today in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately. Like other athletes under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, McGregor will be subject to provide at least two negative samples before being permitted to compete..."
The worst case scenario for McGregor fans is that he doesn't make the deadline, and is forced to sit out until returning sometime in 2024. A best case scenario is McGregor making the deadline and being able to compete at UFC 296.
A middle-ground is McGregor missing the deadline and receiving an exemption under "exceptional circumstances," in which USADA's integrity should be called into question.
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