Conor McGregor Defends Banned Drug Use After 2021 Leg Break as 5-Year UFC Return Nears
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Conor McGregor Defends Banned Drug Use After 2021 Leg Break as 5-Year UFC Return Nears
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Summary
Tuesday’s televised interview gave McGregor his fullest account yet of using banned substances after his 2021 leg fracture, saying he took whatever doctors prescribed so he could walk normally again.
The comments confirmed key elements of a New York Times report last week that said he avoided drug testing and used powerful performance-enhancing drugs during recovery from the televised fight injury.
McGregor said he did not know exactly what substances he was given and did not want to know, framing the treatment as an extraordinary medical response rather than a competitive advantage.
The case has raised ethical questions in sports medicine because, after surgery, doctor Neal ElAttrache reportedly feared the leg would not heal properly and referred McGregor to bone-healing specialists able to prescribe banned drugs.
The issue is resurfacing as McGregor promotes his first fight in 5 years, scheduled for next month in Las Vegas.