Overview
- A New York Times investigation reported that Conor McGregor sought permission to use banned drugs to aid healing after his July 2021 tibia and fibula break and said his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, supported the request but that an exemption was denied.
- McGregor called the report “shocking,” said he removed himself from the drug‑testing pool to follow medical advice, and said he does not know the exact medications he took during recovery.
- The UFC issued a formal denial that McGregor prompted its 2024 split from USADA and said McGregor has been extensively tested recently, noting 19 tests over the past two years and 12 so far in 2026.
- There is no public record of a positive drug test tied to these claims; McGregor has never failed a UFC drug test but served an 18‑month suspension for repeated whereabouts failures that ended in March 2026.
- The dispute spotlights how therapeutic‑use exemptions are handled, the limits of current anti‑doping rules for severe injury care, and regulatory scrutiny to monitor in the runup to his July 11 rematch at UFC 329.