"He's having fun with people, he's clean" - Conor McGregor is just trolling fans by posting his controversial enhanced pictures, says Chael Sonnen
Conor McGregor has come under fire due to his removal from the USADA testing pool. While the former double champ is the only active fighter who hasn't been tested in 2022, former middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen was adamant in his belief that McGregor isn't using steroids.
After cross-referencing the entire active UFC roster with USADA's athlete test history database, I found that Conor McGregor was the lone active fighter, (aside from some athletes who signed after Aug. 1) to not be tested by USADA.
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During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani asked Sonnen about his take on Connor's situation with performance-enhancing drugs. 'The American Gangster' replied with:
"Conor's clean. He's been trolling. He's been having fun with people. Come on, a guy doesn't go out and do a crime and then document the crime. Conor put the pictures out. He's having fun with people, he's clean... I believe that Conor's chosen his words very carefully. I believe that he's creating conversation. I know that every word that he said is to make you insinuate that he's avoiding the pool for scandalous reasons."
The mixed martial arts analyst shared one reason why McGregor could have left the USADA testing pool:
"I believe that Conor left the pool because of logistical reasons, the whereabouts clause and violation of having to let someone where you are 24/7, 365. If you are not where you said you were going to be, it's a mark, and if you get three marks in a calendar year, it's an instant fail and a fail comes with a minimum punishment of two years."
While McGregor's reasons for leaving the USADA testing pool have not been revealed, rules stipulate that he must re-enter and remain in the pool for six months before returning to the octagon. McGregor, who is one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts history, has not fought in nearly 18 months since breaking his leg at UFC 264.
Watch Chael Sonnen's full comments on Conor McGregor leaving the USADA testing pool below (starting at the 18:05 mark):
Conor McGregor drops hint of when he will re-enter USADA testing pool
Conor McGregor's removal from the USADA testing pool has been quite controversial. The removal, combined with his massive increase in size, has led to plenty of speculation that he is using steroids. The former double champ recently gave fans a hint as to when he may re-enter the testing pool and make his return to the octagon. In a post shared on his Twitter account, McGregor stated:
"I am clear for testing in February. I will complete my two tests per USADA and we are booking a fight."
Upon re-entering the USADA testing pool, McGregor will have to wait six months before making his UFC return. While there has been speculation that could be waived off, if it is not, the soonest he would be eligible to return would be August 2023.
Check out Conor McGregor's tweet below:
I am clear for testing in February. I will complete my two tests per USADA and we are booking a fight.