The UFC just recently revealed its separation from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after 8 years of collaboration. This news came along with the statement that Conor McGregor had actually reentered the USADA screening swimming pool, triggering concerns about the intention behind the UFC’s choice to part methods with the anti-doping firm.
According to USADA CEO Travis Tygart, the UFC wished to exempt McGregor from a guideline that needs fighters to invest a minimum of 6 months in the screening swimming pool before completing once again. Tygart thinks the UFC’s annoyance with USADA’s persistence on using the guideline to all professional athletes, consisting of McGregor, resulted in the separation.
However, the UFC rejects this story. Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell specified that the choice to proceed from USADA was made a year back, as the company felt that brand-new developments in anti-doping innovation and the introduction of brand-new companies called for a brand-new program.
The case surrounding McGregor appears to be at the center of this debate. McGregor broke his leg in a fight in July 2021 and eliminated himself from the USADA screening swimming pool throughout his healing. The UFC’s anti-doping policy states that fighters should invest 6 months in the swimming pool and pass 2 drug tests before going back to competitors.
The UFC has the capability to waive the six-month guideline in specific situations, as it has actually made with fighters like Brock Lesnar and Miesha Tate. However, USADA firmly insisted that McGregor must invest a minimum of 6 months in the swimming pool before combating once again, resulting in stress in between the UFC and the anti-doping firm.
USADA’s statement of the UFC collaboration ending likewise accompanied the news that McGregor had actually reentered the screening swimming pool. It is uncertain whether the UFC will honor the six-month guideline, as USADA will no longer be dealing with the promo after December 31.
The UFC has actually threatened legal action against USADA, declaring that Tygart’s declarations in the separation statement were defamatory. The company’s legal counsel required an apology and retraction from USADA, however the firm declined to comply.
Overall, the separation in between the UFC and USADA seems driven by disputes over the handling of McGregor’s case and the belief that a brand-new anti-doping program can much better fit the UFC’s requirements. While the future of McGregor’s return to the Octagon stays unsure, it promises that he will heading UFC 300 in April against Michael Chandler.
