Conor McGregor acquired an 18-month suspension for violating the UFC’s anti-doping coverage after three Whereabouts failures, which resulted in a trio of missed drug assessments for the previous two-division champion.
Within the assertion issued by Fight Sports activities Anti-Doping (CSAD) — the in-house company implementing the UFC’s anti-doping coverage — McGregor was given a six-month reprieve from a typical two-year suspension, as a result of he cooperated with the investigation and was not making ready for an upcoming combat when he missed the three drug assessments. McGregor is cleared to compete once more after March 20, 2026, which is a crucial date, as a result of that gained’t stop him from presumably returning on the deliberate UFC White Home card in June.
The suspension and the date when McGregor is allowed to compete once more raised quite a lot of eyebrows given the importance of that White Home occasion, however UFC legend Matt Brown says there’s a a lot greater downside on the coronary heart of this whole ordeal and all of it comes all the way down to the facility the promotion maintains over each side of the enterprise.
“UFC controls the doping,” Brown mentioned on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “Who’s to say they’re not letting sure individuals dope and never even saying something? They may completely be doing it and simply not saying something.
“Do I believe they’re doing that? It doesn’t matter. It’s irrelevant whether or not they’re or not. If they’ve the facility to do it, that’s what issues. I don’t know what it’s going to take for fighters [to step up], I don’t know if it’s doable for fighters to ever step up and be like ‘yo, that is some bullshit.’”
The UFC beforehand paid america Anti-Doping Company to facilitate the corporate’s anti-doping coverage, however the two sides break up after the latest contract between them was coming to an finish. That whole state of affairs blew up publicly because of one other infraction involving McGregor after he was plotting his return to motion, which required him to get again into the UFC’s anti-doping program to undergo testing once more.
Whereas the problems between the UFC and USADA apparently went a lot deeper than simply coping with McGregor’s state of affairs, the top end result was introducing this new entity often called CSAD.
UFC officers have harassed that CSAD operates independently with resolution making relating to potential punishments or sanctions touchdown immediately on director George Piro, who heads up the company after he beforehand served within the FBI earlier than retiring from regulation enforcement.
However Brown can’t assist however confess skepticism concerning the validity of McGregor’s suspension or anyone else for that matter as a result of CSAD remains to be totally funded and operated by the UFC.
“Whoever’s preventing Conor, are they not going to be like what the f*ck?” Brown mentioned. “He is aware of what’s taking place. You’re going to inform me if the UFC’s controlling the doping, and so they’re doing a White Home card subsequent yr, after which say Conor fails a take a look at the week earlier than, are they not going to be like ‘all proper Conor, we will’t actually say something proper now.’ What the f*ck are they going to do? Are they going to tug out Conor from the f*cking White Home occasion?
“Or if Jon Jones is the primary occasion and Alex Pereira and people guys each piss sizzling the week earlier than? Are they simply going to cease the f*cking primary occasion for the White Home card? You’ve bought to suppose that’s why they removed USADA and why they wished the management.”
In fact, Brown by no means completely purchased into your entire anti-doping program on the UFC in any case, as a result of he’s seen loads of proof that exhibits simply how troublesome it’s to truly catch any person dishonest in the event that they’ve bought the means and skill to beat the assessments.
In McGregor’s case, he by no means examined constructive for any banned substances and his suspension solely handled him lacking drug assessments. That mentioned, Brown doesn’t doubt for a second that McGregor or anyone along with his sorts of economic means couldn’t discover a manner round getting busted.
“It’s simply not proper,” Brown mentioned. “We may get deep into the topic of drug testing. I believe it’s for essentially the most half it’s sort of rubbish anyway. Not anyone however the overwhelming majority that may afford to beat a drug take a look at are beating the drug take a look at. It’s a cat and mouse recreation and the mice have an enormous head begin. There’s issues that you just don’t find out about, that I don’t find out about that we’ve by no means heard of, there’s some huge cash on this trade of beating drug assessments.
“Once you’re speaking about coping with multi-million greenback athletes world wide, and also you’re the man that may assist them beat a drug take a look at and nonetheless get them on shit, you’re a f*cking multi-millionaire. There’s some huge cash on this shit. It’s simply if you’re an athlete, are you able to afford this or not?”
Whatever the UFC’s anti-doping program or the suspension issued, Brown has lengthy believed that McGregor would by no means really combat once more.
It’s been over 4 years since McGregor suffered a ugly damaged leg in a combat towards Dustin Poirier and his deliberate return in 2024 was scrapped after he suffered a damaged toe in coaching. Since that point, McGregor hasn’t actually hinted at when he would combat once more till the announcement concerning the UFC White Home card now scheduled for June 14.
McGregor even teased that he wished $100 million for his look at that occasion, which Brown believes could be an excellent greater hurdle for the UFC to clear with regards to his potential return.
“I’ve mentioned it earlier than should you take a calculation of his internet price, it makes zero f*cking sense for him to combat for the amount of cash that [the UFC] can pay him. Interval,” Brown mentioned. “My conspiracy principle is he’s going to need them to plan for it, however he has no intention of preventing.
“My different principle is he may be getting some PR after which be like f*ck off. Both manner, he won’t present up on the date of the [White House card]. He won’t combat ever once more in our lifetime until it’s boxing, Misfits Boxing, Conor McGregor promotions, one thing alongside these traces. For the UFC, by no means once more.”
In the case of the UFC’s management over the anti-doping program and so many different sides of the enterprise, Brown can’t assist however marvel if that’s ever going to vary.
“We’re not going to do f*cking jack shit about it,” Brown mentioned. “Can we do jack shit about it? That’s the query.”
