Conor McGregor may have dropped out of drug testing due to "organisational" issues while filming for his first Hollywood acting appearance, according to UFC legend Chael Sonnen.
McGregor is currently out of action after breaking his leg in his defeat by Dustin Poirier last year but is expected to make his return to the octagon in 2023. It was revealed last month that the Irishman is currently not enrolled in the USADA drug testing programme while completing his rehabilitation programme, with fighters required to be tested for six months prior to competing.
He has himself suggested he will be able to find a loophole in the system to return earlier, after he has finished filming for his maiden acting appearance in a remake of Hollywood classic 'Road House'. And UFC legend Chael Sonnen simply believes there were logistical reasons caused by his filming which lie behind McGregor's absence from the pool.
'I will tell you, I believe that Conor left the pool. He’s never been clear on this. I believe he left because of logistical reasons," Sonnen said during an appearance on the MMA Hour when discussing McGregor's lack of drug testing. "The whereabouts clause in violation of having to let someone know where you are 24/7/365, right, if you’re not where you said you’re going to be, it’s a mark.
"And if you get three marks in a calendar year it’s an instant fail and that fail comes with a minimum punishment of two years. I just bring for you that if he was off doing Road House (his new movie) and medication and he knew he wasn’t going to fight anyway and he just didn’t want to keep up on the organisational side of it, I think that he made the right decision.
"I think Conor is having fun with people, making them think that he’s on some form of anabolics. I believe that Conor has chosen his words very carefully. 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. He knew what he was doing. He wanted that put out there."
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McGregor's comeback had already been delayed until 2023 after he suffered setbacks during his recovery from injury, and many have come up with reasons as to why. UFC fighter Anthony Smith this week alleged that McGregor had "juiced" up during his time away from the sport in order to make a comeback.
However this was met with a furious response from McGregor who denied any wrongdoing, tweeting: "This rat spoke to Weidman who’d the same horrific injury and is having severe complications still, is bothered that I was able to heal/return to a normal way of life. He, like many other rats in my game, would be happier if I wasn’t able to play with my children the same again. The audacity of this loser! I am the most tested fighter all time in combat sport."
