Conor McGregor says he was “shocked” to learn that a New York Times report about his post-injury drug use had surfaced, arguing the focus should have been on getting him back on his feet rather than scrutinizing the medical decisions made after one of the most severe injuries in combat sports history.
McGregor spoke to Yahoo Sports following the Times report, which claimed he used banned substances during his recovery from the broken leg suffered at UFC 264 in 2021 and that his surgeon sought a therapeutic use exemption on his behalf that was denied.
“Shocking! Shocking! A man’s private medical, from the most devastating injury that you’ll see in combat sports. The whole thing is strange to me. You have an injury like that, you’re not going to walk again! The objective should be to get that athlete, that fighter, who has given his life, his limb, his livelihood for the entertainment of the people and for the profit of the company, it should be, ‘Get this man back on his feet.’ And that was not the case.”
McGregor said he did not even know specifically what he was prescribed during his recovery.
“I took myself out of the pool, listened to my doctors, didn’t ask questions. I don’t even know. If you’re going to ask what was I on, I don’t even know. I don’t want to know. All I want to know is, what’s going to get me back to my fcking feet to be able to play with my children in a normal capacity again? And that was it. I’m well through it. How many fcking times have I been tested this year? About 15 times. This year!”
The UFC also released a statement defending McGregor and denying that his situation had any connection to the company’s decision to end its partnership with USADA, stating McGregor has been tested 19 times over the past two years including 12 times in 2026, making him the most tested athlete during that period. The statement categorically denied that McGregor was the reason the UFC left USADA.
McGregor previously received an 18-month retroactive suspension for repeated failure to complete whereabouts checks, which ended in March 2026. He faces Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11.