​Conor McGregor has spent the last several years touting his imposing “big fridge” physique and crediting “quality Irish produce” for shaping him into a formidable 190 pounds of granite. A new report from the New York Times, however, marks a stark contrast by noting that the piece omits mention of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) in McGregor’s transformation. The Times piece arrives as the same publication previously pursued questions about his use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) back in June, suggesting that McGregor’s camp may have more eyes on their moves than they care to admit. It seems that Jose Aldo wasn’t the only one with spies in his circle.
McGregor, who will turn 38 in just a few days, is preparing for his Octagon return against Max Holloway on the UFC 329 card, scheduled for Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Before that booking, “Notorious” served a whereabouts suspension for violating the promotion’s anti-doping testing program. The controversy is part of a broader history that includes his public disputes with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) dating back to 2023.
“I think it’s a guy trying to make something out of nothing,” McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, told Ariel Helwani. “We followed all the testing procedures, and Conor’s been tested about 15 times this year. We’ve done everything right, and clearly, it’s a hit job. Either a hit job on us, or on the UFC. We have our suspicions about the parties involved, but look at the timing—five years’ worth of history compressed to a moment just before a White House event and just before McGregor’s return. We live in that age. Sometimes you just have to set the record straight, and I appreciate Hunter Campbell and the UFC doing the same.”
McGregor (22-6) has also publicly acknowledged cocaine use out of competition in the past, though he has never failed a drug test in his UFC career. The latest reporting adds to the ongoing narrative surrounding his career, his training, and the scrutiny that follows any high-profile athlete who negotiates the line between elite performance and the broader questions about performance-enhancing substances. As McGregor gears up for a highly anticipated clash with Holloway, fans and critics alike will be watching how these revelations and the surrounding controversy influence the big-moment return at UFC 329.