Conor McGregor Submits First Testing Sample Since 2021, Targets Return in April

All the gears finally seem to be shifting in the right direction for Conor McGregor’s return to action.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest superstar has been inactive since July 2021, rehabbing a broken leg sustained in his trilogy clash against Dustin Poirier. The Irishman was also absent from the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool since the third quarter of 2021 until recently.

After months of back and forth with the USADA over a six-month testing window stipulation, McGregor (22-6) finally re-entered the testing pool on Oct. 8, which makes him eligible to compete in April 2024. The Dublin native has also now submitted his first test samples as per online records. Both blood and urine were seemingly collected, as there were a total of three samples taken, although the date of collection wasn’t specified.

McGregor re-entering the pool was soon followed by the news that the UFC-USADA partnership would conclude at the end of the year, a split which the testing agency partly blamed on McGregor. However, UFC executive Hunter Campbell denied asking for an exemption for McGregor while blasting USADA for trying to use the Irishman as a “media vehicle.”

While McGregor submitted his recent sample to USADA, the UFC’s drug testing program will be taken over by Drug Free Sport International, with ex-FBI agent George Piro as the administrator, starting next year.

McGregor was recently in attendance for the crossover boxing super fight between former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou and WBC champ Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The Irishman expressed his frustrations and eagerness to make a return to the Octagon at the earliest while speaking to media on the red carpet.

“I’m happy with April. I would’ve loved it earlier, but if I’m to be honest and be realistic, for my fans, I want to put in a good run, build myself back, and that’s it,” McGregor said. “It’s looking like April, mixed martial arts.”

The former two-division champion also referenced Alexander Volkanovski's recent post-fight comments following UFC 294 in regardings to his own desire to remain active.

“I’ve been kept from my living for almost three years now. Understand that. I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss,” McGregor said. “You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said? I relate. I must return to my way of living. This is my job. It’s beyond frustrating... I just want the date. Give me the date, please. That’s it.”