Andrew Ravens
Conor McGregor is facing fresh controversy ahead of his UFC return, and this one is directly connected to his fighting career. A New York Times report published Thursday claims the 37-year-old took banned performance-enhancing drugs during his recovery from the leg injury he suffered during his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 on July 10, 2021 — the last time McGregor competed inside the octagon.
The report centers in part on Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who oversaw the procedure to repair McGregor’s leg and a well-known figure in sports medicine who has treated numerous Hollywood actors and elite athletes. Speaking to the Times through text, ElAttrache said he sent McGregor to specialists in bone healing and stated that he does not prescribe hormone or steroid treatment.
However, in later messages, the doctor confirmed that he had written a letter supporting McGregor’s application for a therapeutic use exemption that would have permitted him to use banned substances. That application was ultimately denied. ElAttrache defended his support as being grounded in science but declined to cite the specific research endorsing the use of PEDs to aid the healing of a broken bone. The Times spoke with 10 sports doctors, sports officials, and trauma surgeons, none of whom were aware of any professional athlete ever having been granted such an exemption for that purpose.
The timing of McGregor’s departure from the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing pool in 2022 had already drawn suspicion from within the sport. His physique changed noticeably during that period, prompting public comments from other fighters and Joe Rogan suggesting he may have used PEDs while outside the testing pool.
McGregor re-entered USADA testing in 2023 ahead of a planned fight against Michael Chandler that was ultimately canceled. USADA and the UFC parted ways, with both sides publicly disputing the reasons for the split. The UFC now oversees its own drug testing program.
In 2025, the UFC handed McGregor an 18-month suspension after he failed to disclose his whereabouts for drug testing on three separate occasions the previous year. That suspension has since expired, and McGregor is now scheduled to face Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas.
