What did Michael Chandler say about the steroid use concerns surrounding Conor McGregor? 

It looks like Michael Chandler will be the one to welcome Conor McGregor back to active competition. Earlier this week, UFC President Dana White told ESPN MMA that the Irishman's next fight would most likely be against 'Iron'.

A recent bizarre tweet by 'The Notorious' coupled with the fact that he has gained an insane amount of muscle en route to recovery from his leg break, has fueled speculation that the Irishman is using banned substances.

However, Chandler seems unfazed by such claims. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the former Bellator lightweight champion revealed that he was not in the least concerned with the Irishman's natty status and completely trusted the USADA testing to weed out any unfair steroid-related practices:

"We can be tested at any time, any place, anywhere. Our whereabouts are on our phones at all times... Do I have any concerns whatsoever, absolutely not...Then also the guy comes back and he’s six months in the USADA testing pool getting tested six times, twelve times, five times, two times, it doesn’t matter."

He gave a final statement saying:

"He’s in the pool for that amount of time, six months is half a year. It’s a long time. So, I have no concerns. I’m not that worried about it, honestly. I’ve wished Conor a speedy recovery from the beginning."

During the post-fight press conference at UFC 280, Dana White confirmed that McGregor is currently out of the USADA testing pool and will need to undergo six months of mandatory testing before he can return to the UFC.

Watch Dana White talk about Conor McGregor below:

---

How long has Conor McGregor been out of the USADA testing pool?

UFC megastar Conor McGregor has been out of the USADA testing since the fourth quarter of 2021, which means that the Irishman has not been drug tested for almost a year and two months at this point.

In the past, however, McGregor has been one of the most drug-tested athletes on the UFC roster. To his merit, the Irishman has never failed a drug test to date. Even excluding the fourth quarter, the 34-year-old was tested 11 times during 2021.

Conor McGregor has been sidelined since suffering a horrific leg injury during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The global combat sports icon is expected to make his UFC return in the second quarter of 2023.

Watch how Conor McGregor broke his leg below: