Conor McGregor seemingly among the most USADA-tested fighters in UFC, Paulo Costa takes top spot above Jon Jones and T.J. Dillashaw
Conor McGregor has been found to be among the most USADA-tested fighters in the UFC since 2015, with the top spot taken by Paulo Costa. T.J. Dillashaw and ormer light heavyweight champion Jon Jones took second and third place respectively. Amidst allegations of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) use, this revelation certainly comes at an interesting time for the Irish superstar.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has been affiliated with the UFC since 2015 and carries out independent official drug testing for all the promotion's athletes.
In recent times, USADA has been criticized by fighters for their poorly timed testing visits and erratic schedules, interfering with the athletes' sleep cycles and weight-cutting process before the fights.
In a recent tweet by Andy Hickey (@AndyHickeyMMA ), the most tested fighters in the UFC have been revealed. Hickey claimed his source to be the official USADA website, which features a comprehensive test-result search tool.
Check out the post below:
Every athlete with 60+ tests since USADA became affiliated with the UFC. Conor McGregor is indeed one of the most tested fighters in MMA but it's Paulo Costa and his secret juice that takes the #1 spot. https://t.co/KEuDoRymf0
'Borrachinha' has been the most-tested fighter since 2015 with 97 tests. Fans may recall that Costa was explicitly vocal about his frustration with USADA knocking on his door at the wrong time. Keen-eyed fans may also point out Jiri Prochazka's surprising number of tests (77), considering 'The Czech Samurai' was only added to the roster in mid-2020.
Fuck the the boss on Usada who sent their agents this morning at my sleep room 6 am to take my blood out!!! I was cutting weight very dehydrated and they wants took my blood ! Fuck those guys!!! I never been caught by usada test I don’t need this fuck shit https://t.co/dtFJQ61ezW
In light of the recent PED use allegations levied on Conor McGregor, it would certainly surprise some to see him among the most tested fighters. However, 'Notorious' is also the only active fighter to exit the testing pool for a full year.
After suffering a leg break against Dustin Poirier last year, McGregor recently revealed that he's ready to return to the octagon and subsequently, the USADA testing pool in February 2023.
I am clear for testing in February. I will complete my two tests per USADA and we are booking a fight.
Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor is "clean" and the Irishman is using the PED allegations to troll his fans
Chael Sonnen is of the opinion that Conor McGregor has not used PEDs and instead uses the drama surrounding these allegations to troll people and have some fun.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Sonnen was asked about his take on the McGregor-PED controversy. 'The American Gangster' replied:
“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... I believe that he’s creating conversation. I know that every word that he said is to insinuate that he’s avoiding the pool for scandalous reasons."
Catch Chael Sonnen's full interview on The MMA Hour below:
The controversy was fueled by Conor McGregor and Anthony Smith recently trading barbs, with Smith seemingly accusing 'Notorious' of using steroids on a podcast with Michael Bisping and McGregor firing back at 'Lionheart' in his own way, labeling him an "embarrassment."
Conor McGregor responds to Anthony Smith's steroid accusations 👀
#UFC #MMA | @TheNotoriousMMA https://t.co/g6ORqI4J0n