Conor McGregor reportedly used 'powerful, banned drugs' to recover from gruesome 2021 broken leg

Conor McGregor will make his long-awaited return to MMA competition next month in Las Vegas against Max Holloway at UFC 329. During his time away, the former two-division UFC champion gained noticeable size throughout his recovery process and stint in the acting world as part of the movie "Roadhouse."

It's been five years since McGregor, 37, last fought. In the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, he suffered a first-round TKO loss at UFC 264 in July 2021. It marked the Irishman's second straight defeat to his rival, but ultimately ended much more gruesomely than the previous. Stepping back toward the cage, McGregor broke his leg in the round's final seconds before the bell sounded and ended the fight.

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A New York Times investigation revealed Thursday that McGregor took "powerful, banned drugs," with the support of notable surgeon Neal ElAttrache. McGregor's use of performance-enhancing drugs led him to evade UFC's drug testing, which was conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency at the time, per the report. ElAttrache performed the surgery to repair McGregor's leg, but didn't directly aid in the PED use, as he sent McGregor to a bone-healing specialist to receive drugs that are universally banned but help with faster muscle building than the human body can naturally achieve.

The UFC and USADA drug-testing partnership ended at the end of 2023 with McGregor notably absent from testing as the UFC aimed to book his return sooner than permitted under the testing rules. Under USADA testing, athletes were required to test negative twice six months prior to a fight.

Late last year, McGregor was suspended by Combat Sports Anti-Doping for 18 months, retroactive to June 13, 2024 — the first of three dates on which he failed to complete a whereabouts check for drug testing within a 12-month window. The other dates were Sept. 19 and 20 of that same year. Per the suspension, McGregor was ineligible to compete until this past March.

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McGregor's upcoming return bout against fellow former champion Holloway will be a rematch of their 2013 clash. McGregor won the bout via unanimous decision before going on to recover from a torn ACL.