UFC superstar Conor McGregor is calling out the rival promotion for their lack of a proper drug testing system.
McGregor’s SBG Ireland teammate – and Bellator fighter – Sinead Kavanagh started the call out with a tweet of her own, saying, “Fighters be willing to take a covid test, How about a pre fight drug test.” A reply from the Notorious soon followed, where he claimed that a partnership between Bellator and a reputable drug testing body is “long overdue””.
“It is crazy to think (Bellator) still do not have a performance enhancing drug testing system in place. It is long overdue time the promotion adopts a reputable testing body in order to keep it’s athletes clean and safe!“
The UFC has partnered with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) since 2015. As per their agreement, all fighters under UFC contract are eligible for random drug tests all year round. The fighters are also given a list of substances that are prohibited and those that are allowed. Any fighter who fails a drug test is subject to a suspension, the length of which is determined by the severity of the infraction and the number of times the fighter has been flagged.
Bellator has no such partnership with any regulatory body, instead leaving the testing up to the local athletic commissions. Pundits have been skeptical of this method of testing, as it means fighters are only tested the week of the fight, and punishments can vary from each commission.
McGregor has long been a proponent of fighting clean and having fighters tested regularly. He himself has never been flagged for any infraction. Though McGregor is under UFC contract, he has a number of SBG teammates who fight for Bellator, including Kavanagh and rising stars Dillon Danis and James Gallagher, among others.
Do you agree with Conor McGregor that it’s time Bellator partners with a drug testing agency?