Dustin Poirier believes it won't be a good look for USADA if Conor McGregor is able to bypass the regular testing routine.
McGregor recently made headlines when he declared he would be fighting Michael Chandler in December. Considering he still hasn't entered the USADA drug testing pool — which requires him to deliver at least two negative samples over a period of six months — many believe he'll receive a rare special exemption from the drug testing body.
While that would allow him to compete in December, it's not clear how much — or if at all — McGregor will be tested going into a potential fight with Chandler.
That's where the issue arises for Poirier who believes USADA will only look like a joke if they go ahead with the exemption for the Irishman.
“I like USADA, and I do think they’re doing a good job of cleaning up our sport,” Poirier told MMA News (via MMA Junkie). “But for me, if they waive that (six-month testing period) and allow him to compete with no drug testing, it kind of just makes a joke of the whole thing. Just remove it completely. There shouldn’t be gray areas. It’s white and black with USADA, you take tests and pass them, you’re able to compete. You don’t take tests, you don’t compete.
“There was never a gray area before. We’ll see what happens. I’m not sh*tting on the UFC, I’m not sh*tting on USADA. I don’t want to accuse or say things about either company without them making an official decision. I don’t know what they’re going to do with Conor and the drug testing thing. But if they do allow him to compete without drug testing, they’re making a whole joke of USADA.”
The only fighter to receive a special exemption was Brock Lesnar for his 2016 fight with Mark Hunt. He would later test positive for a banned substance and have his win overturned to a no contest.
Should the same occur to Conor McGregor — who exited the pool after suffering a broken leg against Poirier in 2021 — “The Diamond” believes it would tarnish the former two-weight champion's legacy.
At the same time, McGregor has been against steroids in the past and had no problems with USADA during his championship runs.
“I’m sure it would [tarnish his legacy] if he got busted for using steroids,” Poirier added. “But also, he was in the USADA protocol when he was doing great things, so he was passing tests when he was still making incredible things happen in the octagon.
“It’s tough to say, it depends on the person looking, looking in from the outside. I’m sure a lot of people are going to say if that would happen, I’m sure a lot of people are going to say it does, I’m sure a lot of people would stand behind him, so it is what it is.”
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