UFC light heavyweight contender and one-time title challenger, Anthony Smith has responded to a recent tirade aimed at him by former two-weight promotional champion, Conor McGregor – over the Dubliner’s absense from the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool, pointing to the fact the 34-year-old never denied utilizing performance-enhancing drugs in order to recovery from a leg fracture suffered last year.
Smith, a one-time title challenger under the UFC banner, has been recently booked to headline a Fight Night billed event against recent big UFC 281 victor, Ryan Spann next year – in his first outing since suffering a leg injury of his own against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 277 in July.
As for McGregor, the Crumlin striker headlined UFC 264 back in July of last year against Dustin Poirier, fracturing his left tibia and fibula in an eventual first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to the Lafayette native.
However, in the time since his leg injury, McGregor has yet to be subject to anti-doping testing by USADA, and is set to be the subject of 6 months of testing in their official testing pool before he can make his return to the Octagon.
Taking umbrage with the fact McGregor has yet to be subject to testing since the third quarter of last year, Anthony Smith questioned why the former featherweight and lightweight champion had avoided testing, without informing the UFC of his retirement, or seeing his contract with the organization terminated.
Anthony Smith issues his response to Conor McGregor
Responding with a slew of verbal insults aimed at Nebraska native, Smith, McGregor’s lack of defense when it comes to rebuffing claims that he has been utilizing performance-enhancing drugs to recover from his leg injury, led Anthony Smith to claim that rules apply differently to the former.
“What bothers me is that guys like Anderson (Silva), Chris Weidman and myself have had bad injuries and we did not have the ability to just step out of the USADA pool, get ourselves healed and come back with no repercussions,” Anthony Smith said of Conor McGregor on the Believe You Me podcast with Michael Bisping. “Did he break any rules?… You said, ‘Technically he’s not breaking any rules.’ That’s because different rules apply to him. I don’t have that capability.” (Transcribed by SportsKeeda)
While Bisping made the argument that you don’t have to be a “forensic accountant” to speculate if McGregor has been utilziing PEDs, Smith said; “Assumption [of him using steroids]? He didn’t deny it.”