Anthony Smith bothered by Conor McGregor's surprising decision to pull out of USADA pool - "There is only one reason you would do that"
Anthony Smith is bothered by Conor McGregor not being in the USADA testing pool anymore. McGregor has not been tested since the third quarter of 2021, shortly after breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
According to Smith, there is only one reason for staying out of the USADA testing pool. While he did not state the obvious, 'Lionheart' hinted that McGregor might be using steroids or other banned substances.
Apart from McGregor's recently bulked-up frame, Smith also drew attention to the speed of the Irishman's recovery. The UFC light heavyweight claims that former middleweight champion Chris Weidman is still facing problems with the leg injury that he suffered in his fight against Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in April 2021. Smith said on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast:
"It bothers the f**k out of me. Like that, he pulled himself out of the USADA pool. There's only one reason you would do that. He's looking jacked as sh*t. You keep seeing videos of him flexing in front of mirrors and screaming. And he's huge. He healed really fast. Like, really fast. [Chris] Weidman still hasn't. I talked to Weidman today, he's still having struggles."
Watch Smith's comments on Conor McGregor below [56:33]:
Michael Chandler expects to fight Conor McGregor at International Fight Week 2023
Conor McGregor has been out of action for over a year and just recently finished shooting for his Hollywood debut, a remake of the 80's classic 'Road House'. UFC president Dana White recently confirmed that 'Notorious' will have to be under the USADA testing pool for at least six months, delaying his return to almost mid-2023 at the earliest.
UFC lightweight superstar Michael Chandler continues to be hopeful of McGregor's return and recently called him out. Backed by the label of being one of the most electrifying fighters on the UFC roster, Chandler is ardently making a case for himself for the McGregor return fight.
'Iron' even expects the fight to happen in July 2023 as he believes that both 'Notorious' and the UFC are aware of how big a matchup it is. The 36-year-old told ESPN:
"It’s the biggest fight to make, it’s the most PPV sales that can be made right now, at this current juncture, in the entire world of MMA. I think Conor knows it, I think the UFC knows it, and I think it’s going to happen International Fight Week of 2023.”
Watch Chandler talk about the McGregor fight below: