All signs are pointing toward Conor McGregor not fighting this year.
UFC president Dana White said the fight won’t happen until 2024, his opponent Michael Chandler also said he was doubtful it would happen in December as planned and now, it seems, that McGregor himself has resigned the fact that he isn’t fighting in 2023.
“They’re not going to let me fight in December, ladies and gentlemen,” McGregor said in a series of audio notes on X. “You’ve seen Chris Weidman (at UFC 292). Imagine what that injury is. I feel like I’m being kept from my livelihood, and I’ve been feeling this for years. I’m not going to air grievances. I’m going to buoy down and soldier on. I’m ready. I wanted an announcement for (UFC 296 on) Dec. 16. I’ve given everything. So, it’s not going to happen. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”
McGregor has been told on multiple occasions that USADA was not going to grant an exemption to his six-month testing waiting period, despite it being granted to Brock Lesnar at UFC 200.
“We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and as he confirmed today in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately,” USADA wrote in a statement (h/t MMA Junkie). “Like other athletes who come out of retirement, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, McGregor will be subject to testing for at least six months and must provide at least two negative samples before being permitted to compete. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that all athletes who are not subject to a period of testing are adequately tested over a reasonable period of time before competing to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.”
At press time, McGregor hasn’t re-entered the USADA testing pool.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufcnews/conor-mcgregor-usada-keeping-him-from-livelihood
