It appears the biggest hurdle in finalizing Conor McGregor's comeback fight is about to be sorted out.
The former UFC two-division champion is expected to rejoin the USADA drug-testing pool imminently, the UFC's anti-doping partner told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn and Nolan King in a statement.
USADA referred to McGregor dropping out of the testing pool as a "retirement."
"We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor," the agency wrote, "and as he confirmed (Friday) in the media, we expect to receive his paperwork coming out of retirement and re-entering the USADA testing pool immediately."
Under the UFC's anti-doping policy, McGregor must be subject to drug testing for six months and must submit two negative tests before being allowed to return to the Octagon.
However, the UFC may exempt fighters from the six-month rule under "exceptional circumstances" or when the rule "would be manifestly unfair to an athlete."
McGregor will face lightweight contender Michael Chandler when he returns to action. The Irishman said earlier this week the current timeframe for the fight is December.
Earlier this year, McGregor coached "The Ultimate Fighter 31" opposite Chandler. The show debuts May 31.
McGregor hasn't fought since suffering a first-round TKO loss - and a broken leg - in a July 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
