Chael Sonnen backs ‘Clean’ Conor McGregor amid USADA testing pool exit: ‘He made the right decision’

Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight championship challenger, Chael Sonnen has backed former duel-weight champion, Conor McGregor as a “clean” athlete amid certain controversy regarding his absense from the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool – speculating that the Dubliner exited due to “logistical reasons” to boot.

Sonnen, a former middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger under the banner of the UFC, called time on his professional mixed martial arts career back in 2019, suffering a knockout loss to former UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida when both competed under the Bellator MMA banner.

As for McGregor, the 34-year-old has yet to compete professionally since July of last year, fracturing his left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. And in the time since, Conor McGregor has yet to be subject to anti-doping testing by UFC partners, USADA – leading to those within the community, including contender, Anthony Smith, to suggest the Dubliner has been utilizing performance-enhancing drugs to recover from his leg injury.

Chael Sonnen defends Conor McGregor’s exit from the USADA testing pool

However, according to Sonnen, Conor McGregor likely exited the testing pool due to his plans to travel amid his period of recovery as well as film scenes for the upcoming release of Roadhouse – which he holds a lead role in, as well as claiming the former duel-weight best is a “clean” athlete.

“Conor’s (McGregor) clean,” Chael Sonnen told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “He’s been trolling, he’s been having fun with people. Come on – a guy doesn’t go out and do a crime and then document the crime. Conor put the pictures out. He’s having fun with people. He’s clean.” 

“I will tell you, I believe Conor left the pool,” Chael Sonnen explained. “He’s never been clear on this. I believe he left because of logistical reasons. The whereabouts clause in violation of having to let someone know where you are 24/7/365, right, if you’re not where you said you’re going to be, it’s a mark and if you get three marks in a calendar year it’s an instant fail…”

“I just bring for you that if he was off doing Roadhouse and medication and he knew he wasn’t going to fight anyway and he just didn’t want to keep up on the organizational side of it, I think that he made the right decision. I think Conor McGregor is having fun with people, making them think that he’s on some form of anabolics.”