USADA fast pass? “It won’t be long” until Mac is eligible for return

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Filming for the final season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) recently wrapped and the show is scheduled to run from May 30, 2023 to August 15, 2023. This is expected to be a higher profile season than most. other recent runs as former two-time UFC champion Conor McGregor returns to his old coaching role against all-action Lightweight contender “Iron” Michael Chandler.

So far, everything has gone well. There’s the appropriate amount of drama, and the hype is already building for the eventual showdown between McGregor and Chandler. The only problem is that there is still no timetable for this fight, which could take place at 155 or 170 pounds.

The main obstacle to booking the fight indeed seems to be timing. In order to fully recover from his disastrous leg fracture suffered in the Dustin Poirier trilogy fight, McGregor withdrew from the USADA testing group so doctors could use whatever means necessary to help his bones heal. . Oh, and he just happened to get really busted around that time, too.

Whether this is all fair or unfair is up for debate, but at some point McGregor must join the USADA test group in order to fight again. According to USADA guidelines, McGregor must be tested for six months before he can compete again, which means time is slowly passing if McGregor wants to return in 2023.

Unless there is an escape? Supposedly, USADA has clamped down on any potential shortcomings in this regard and does not consider McGregor eligible for an exemption. McGregor, however, remains confident he’ll be able to fight Chandler whenever he wants, provided he’s able to deliver a clean pair of drug tests when he comes back.

“I’m not rushing anything,” McGregor told Ariel Helwani (via Aaron Bronsteter). “There are hurdles and such, but we’re in constant communication and there’s an interview scheduled and a meeting takes place and then it’ll be official. But the six-month thing, what they had said was two flawless tests and off you go, so I guess it won’t take too long.

It’s impossible to tell from the outside if McGregor’s belief that he will fight before long is accurate or not. USADA hasn’t really confirmed one way or another yet, so until an announcement is made or McGregor is actually in the test group, we’ll just have to wait and see how the situation is changing.

Insomnia

Here it is: the most middleweight fight in middleweight history. The odds of a nasty clinch, wrestling match, or good kickboxing match are all equal. The only guarantee is FATIGUE!

Fight Circus recruited Bob Sapp and Quinton Jackson for…something?

I like a low kick war.

Michael Chandler did an Ask Me Anything on Twitter, so here’s a selection of his most interesting replies!

First of all, this clip ends way too soon. Second, Bryce Mitchell isn’t the first person to ride a bike full of weird bullshit thanks to DTLA!

Top notch scrambles from a pair of tweens who have done well for all jiu-jitsu! The Ruotolo brothers are great fun to watch.

Slips, tears and KO clips

This comprehensive retrospective of Leon Edwards’ UFC career is cool, and those two “Rocky” wins in particular don’t get enough credit.

The same side cross high kick is a great combo, but we usually see it in open stance (Southpaw vs. Orthodox). Robert Whittaker, meanwhile, is going after EVERYBODY!

Pain.

Random terrain

How a caterpillar moves.

Midnight Music: Post-Hardcore, 1994

Sleep well fools! More martial arts madness is always on the way.