‘I Give Everything To This Game’

“Notorious” is firing back at critics who are hammering at him for withdrawing from the USADA drug testing program following his bad leg break injury.

Conor McGregor is firing back at UFC fighter Anthony Smith and everyone else giving him attitude for removing himself from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool to heal his broken leg.

For months people had suspected McGregor was no longer in USADA’s testing pool. A close look at USADA’s testing database showed “The Notorious” as the only fighter on the roster to not be tested in 2022. Dana White confirmed McGregor wasn’t in the pool following UFC 280, and then McGregor recently admitted it himself, claiming he would be allowed to compete without six month’s testing because of an exceptional circumstances clause in the drug testing organization’s rules.

That’s upset a lot of people who believe McGregor used his injury as a smokescreen to pile on muscle during his recovery. He has been looking ridiculously jacked, and the aforementioned Smith took a shot at the Irish sports star in a recent interview.

“It bothers the f— out of me that he pulled himself out of the USADA pool,” Smith told MMA Junkie. “There’s only one reason you would do that. He’s looking jacked as s—. You keep seeing videos of him flexing in front of mirrors and screaming and he’s huge. He healed really fast. Like, really fast.”

In Conor’s defense, it makes sense that he would withdraw from the USADA pool while doctors treated his leg. Any other sports athlete would get the best in restorative treatment, which means a bunch of stuff banned to active USADA fighters. McGregor came out on Twitter in his own defense Saturday morning.

“This rat spoke to Weidman who’d the same horrific injury and is having severe complications still,” McGregor wrote. “Is bothered that I was able to heal/return to a normal way of life. He, like many other rats in my game, would be happier if I wasn’t able to play with my children the same again.

“The audacity of this loser! Anthony Smith, you’re a loser,” he continued. “The percentage of the bones joining back after a break like this is so low. You think I give a f— about anything else. I am the most tested fighter all time in combat sport. I give everything to this game. You – Nothing! I thought you broke your leg yourself in your last fight lol you little dope. You embarrassment of a man! Keep my name out of your fucking mouth. P—k.

“Everything was fully disclosed before I began,” he continued. “The state of allowance for athletes to recover from injuries as horrific as the one I overcame must be assessed. My thoughts are with Weidman and Anderson Silva. The three of us, and only us, know the severity of this injury.”

In the end, few people probably take issue with McGregor’s withdrawal from the USADA pool as much as what else he did while healing from his leg injury. If he came back a bit buffer than before, that’s one thing. But, the 34-year-old former double champ piled on another twenty-plus pounds of pure muscle, turning himself from an average-sized Lightweight into a hulking Middleweight.

As Smith implied, if he didn’t want the criticism, maybe he should have done a few less mirror selfies showing off the side benefits of being out of USADA?

There’s no confirmed timeline for Conor McGregor’s return, but “The Notorious” has stated he hopes to re-enter the pool in February and get booked for a fight soon after. If he is cleared under USADA’s exceptional circumstances clause, he’ll be eligible to fight after two drug tests.