The Ultimate Fighter Season 31
A two-minute read...
Connor McGregor returns to the UFC as a coach in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 31, with a pay-per-view fight against his rival coach. To be cleared for the fight by USADA, McGregor needs six months of testing and two positive tests. Some PIDs show up in blood tests for three months after the last use. USADA's tests are so strict that they will pick up toxins absorbed from street tacos where hormones were given to the cattle.
The UFC hasn't announced when the PPV event will be held, but they are typically adjacent to the end of the TUF season. Interestingly, McGregor's rival coach is calling for a September event. A November timeline would accommodate the twelve week camp for the upcoming bout. Anything past November could raise suspicions that McGregor needs more time to be ready for the six months testing period.
On the other hand, the USADA testing protocol permits drug testing 24/7/365. Fighters have to provide an address where USADA could find them at all times, even while on vacation. Fighters have to participate in drug tests even in the middle of the night. Fighters can thank Lance Armstrong for that. Armstrong figured out the half-life of PIDs to avoid testing. He would take the substance right when the overnight testing blackout began, it would be out of his system when testing could resume in the morning, and his body would still feel the benefits of that substance that day.
McGregor’s detractors will likely key in on the drug testing issue, but we should not overlook legitimate reasons for his conduct and the event timeline. It is reasonable to want a break from that strict protocol while the fighter is not scheduled for any fights. The simple fact that McGregor withdrew from the program while he wasn’t fighting should not be held against him.