Conor McGregor is set to return to the cage next month in a highly anticipated match, five years after fracturing his tibia and fibula. However, the hype around his welterweight fight against Max Holloway is being overshadowed by claims he used banned drugs to heal from his gruesome injury.
The Injury and Recovery
In July 2021, during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, McGregor stumbled backwards, trapping his foot under himself and breaking his own leg. A clean break of the tibia required surgery, and doubts arose about his future in the sport. Now, five years later, the 37-year-old is ready to fight again despite the controversy.
Doctor-Approved Banned Drugs
While McGregor has never been directly linked to performance-enhancing substances, the New York Times reported that he took powerful, banned drugs with the support of his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache. ElAttrache, who also serves as a physician for the Dodgers and Rams, referred to the drugs in a letter when McGregor applied for a therapeutic use exemption. The request, which was not approved, was intended to exploit a loophole, according to sources.
Around the same time, the UFC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) ended their relationship. The UFC now oversees its own anti-doping program in conjunction with Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD). McGregor quietly withdrew from the UFC's anti-doping program, meaning he was no longer subject to drug testing for two years. He later accepted an 18-month suspension after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period in 2024.
The Doctor's Defence
ElAttrache oversaw the surgery but sent McGregor to bone-healing specialists, stating, "I don't prescribe hormone or steroid treatment." When asked if it was appropriate for McGregor to take banned drugs, he defended the therapeutic use exemption process, saying, "There are many banned drugs on the list which are necessary to medically treat various conditions."
Manager's Statement
McGregor's manager, Audie Attar, did not confirm whether the fighter used performance-enhancing drugs. He stated that even with surgery, there was a real risk McGregor might not walk again, and that he withdrew from the testing pool to focus fully on his recovery under the care of world-renowned physicians. Attar called the disclosure of medical records an unfathomable breach of privacy.
McGregor is set to face Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas, headlining International Fight Week, exactly five years after breaking his leg.
