Conor McGregor‘s coach John Kavanagh is puzzled by USADA’s public statements about McGregor’s drug testing status and believes that the fighter has been unfairly portrayed, with uncertainty remaining about his potential return date to the UFC.
John Kavanagh, Conor McGregor’s longtime coach, was baffled by the fighter’s involvement in the UFC’s separation from USADA. Kavanagh expressed his confusion on The MMA Hour, stating, “I didn’t understand that at all.” He explained that there was never any indication of McGregor trying to circumvent drug-testing rules, so the statements from USADA were unexpected and unwarranted.
Following the split between the UFC and USADA, both parties made conflicting claims about the reasons behind the termination. USADA CEO Travis Tygart stated that the relationship became untenable due to the UFC’s questioning of USADA’s stance on McGregor’s testing pool eligibility. In response, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell criticized Tygart’s claims and threatened legal action against USADA.
McGregor re-entered the UFC’s drug-testing pool in October and was scheduled to be eligible to compete in April 2024. However, the UFC informed him that his return date had been pushed back to the summertime of that year. Kavanagh revealed that McGregor is frustrated by the delay and emphasized that McGregor is passionate about fighting and has goals he still wants to achieve in the sport. Kavanagh stated, “He loves it. He enjoys it. And it’s not forever.”
Kavanagh also addressed doubts about McGregor’s motivations for returning to the sport, explaining that McGregor is built for the fighting environment and has a genuine passion for MMA. He emphasized that McGregor’s desire to continue fighting is not solely driven by financial incentive, saying, “He somewhat needs it. He loves it. He enjoys it.”