Getty Conor McGregor waits for the start of his welterweight rematch against Nate Diaz.
UFC star Justin Gaethje may have more information about Conor McGregor’s lack of drug testing claimed Daniel Cormier.
Former two-division champion McGregor has been in recovery since he underwent surgery for a horrific leg break injury that he suffered in his last outing against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in Jul. 2021. He appears to be nearing full recovery and reportedly got back to training in all facets of mixed martial arts, as per his head coach John Kavanagh. He keeps his fans updated about his rehabilitation progress but has not yet given a concrete timeline for his comeback.
Aaron Bronsteter of TSN Sports reported that McGregor was the only athlete on the roster not to have been tested by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) so far this year.
Gaethje recently talked about a potential matchup with ‘Notorious.’ He alleged that McGregor was using gear.
“If everybody would just remember correctly, I fought Cowboy, I beat him and then he fought Cowboy right after that [at UFC 246 in January 2020],” Gaethje told MMA Fighting. “I was primed and ready to go. It sounds to me like he’s off taking steroids right now. He hasn’t been drug tested by USADA in quite some time. I’m looking for fair competition.”
Cormier Believes Gaethje Probed McGregor
The former two-division champion gave his take on the human ‘Highlight’ reel’s serious claims about McGregor using steroids.
“Justin went so far as to imply that Conor McGregor or straight up say, honestly that Conor McGregor is off doing some steroids. That is a pretty bold statement,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “My question is, how does Gaethje know that? Is Gaethje checking the USADA website to know and say this with this much confidence? Or is he basing this on Conor McGregor’s appearance? But the reality is this; you don’t know.
“Because Conor McGregor’s not a tall guy so if he starts to gain weight, he’s gonna look a little bigger, he’s gonna look a little more full, and he looks a little more puffy.”
Cormier took from Gaethje’s confidence that he may have investigated McGregor’s drug-testing history.
“But for Gaethje, to say that so confidently, tells me that either him or his team is kind of looking into it,” Cormier said. “I’m pretty sure Gaethje has an idea of when McGregor was tested last.”
Cormier Doesn’t Think Gaethje Is the Right Matchup for McGregor but Wants To See the Fight
Given that McGregor will be coming back from a broken leg, ‘DC’ suggested that Gaethje, renowned for his vicious use of leg kicks, may not be the right stylistic matchup for his return.
“Now, here’s the thing. Conor McGregor is coming off of what was one of the nastiest leg injuries in the UFC,” added Cormier. “But then I ask myself this question here, Justin Gaethje is insane at throwing leg kicks. Is this the fight for Conor McGregor right back, being that Justin will beat the legs down, especially knowing that Conor is a southpaw and Justin’s a conventional fighter?
“Justin can throw those kicks from both sides, and he can really beat up that injured leg. So, is this the fight? I know that personally as a fan of the fight game, this is the one that I would love to see but is this the fight for McGregor being that McGregor is coming off such a massive injury. The world would love it, but these accusations are very serious. So for Justin Gaethje to say them, there must be some background info into it.”
Cormier is confident a showdown between McGregor and Gaethje would make a blockbuster card and left the room open for an error in his analysis.
“But maybe Justin Gaethje is just a lot smarter than us because the reality is, Conor McGregor responds. So, when you say something negative about him whether you’re Henry Cejudo, Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping, and now, Justin Gaethje, he will respond. Ultimately, you’re on the radar for what is the money fight. This is a fight that will blow the roof off of whatever building it’s held in.”