Conor McGregor Hints at a December Return Despite Ongoing Battle With Anti-doping Agency, USADA

Conor McGregor has many talents.

Conor McGregor via InstagramPhoto by@notoriousmma (licensed via CC BY 2.0)

Fighting, boxing, business, he's quick-witted, and knows how to promote pretty much anything.

But perhaps his biggest talent, as of late, has been staying relevant in the public eye... despite having nothing to announce. Fans last saw Conor inside the octagon in July of 2021, when he suffered a horrific leg injury in the 2nd round of his bout against Dustin Poirier, at UFC 264.

With fractures to both his tibia and fibula in his left leg, the 35-year-old MMA icon has been hard at work rehabbing, hoping for a 2023 return.

Conor is amongst a small group of fighters (most notably Cory Hill, Anderson Silva, and Chris Weidman) to suffer such a horrific injury, none of which ever returned to original form. And, earlier this year, Conor announced his intentions and readiness to return to the octagon against lightweight contender, Michael Chandler.

Yet, nothing was made official because, having been removed from USADA's ani-doping pool to receive proper medical attention, Conor still needed to pass a standard 6-month waiting period to return as an active UFC fighter.

But, despite having announced his return nearly 6 months ago, Conor was steadfast in his belief that the rules should not apply to him, as he had never tested positive in "over 70 clean tests" and did not re-enter the testing pool. In a series of now-deleted "X" posts, Conor described his disdain for USADA's arbitrary requirements.

Despite this ongoing battle, with neither side giving in, Conor and Michael coached season 31 of The Ulitmate Fighter, which just came to a conclusion on August 19th, at UFC 292, with Conor's SBG Ireland teammate, Brad Katona, becoming the first fighter to ever win the competition twice.

And, nearly 6 months after the initial back-and-forth between Conor and USADA, it seemed as though we wouldn't see Conor back in the octagon until 2024 at the earliest. In a series of voice notes posted to "X", Conor seemingly accepted his fate.

As reported by Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Conor shared:

"They're not going to let me fight in December, ladies and gentlemen... 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."

But, in true McGregor fashion, later that night he posted a contradictory message, stating, "December is back on the table!"

It's impossible to say for sure whether new information has surfaced or if Conor is simply looking to manifest an exemption.

Regardless, as the Conor McGregor comeback story continues to unravel, fans wait with bated breath for the Irish superstar to step back inside the coveted UFC octagon.

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.