In 2021, when Conor McGregor broke his tibia and fibula at UFC 264, the Irishman underwent major surgery to correct the injury. Like many sportstars, the fighter sought the help of top sports physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who oversaw the surgery. The latter is highly reputed in the sports medicine field for getting star players back in shape ahead of time. But after a recent report into McGregor’s much-touted comeback in the diamond, ElAttrache’s reputation is at risk.

The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt reported that MLB investigators are planning to question Dr. ElAttrache, after finding out that he “supported” McGregor’s alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs to recover from this injury. But upon reaching out to the NFL for their stance on ElAttrache, who is associated with the Rams, the league “didn’t return [a] message,” Schmidt wrote on X.

ElAttrache is the head team physician for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Dodgers.

ElAttrache told the Times that he had recommended McGregor consult with specialists in bone healing, but he “purposely wasn’t involved with his evaluation by the consultant nor with prescribing medication.” 

The physician had written a letter in support of McGregor’s request to use these banned drugs as a “special exemption.” ElAttrache also confirmed that letter was written only after consulting with the bone healing specialists, and out of concern that McGregor might not be able to walk properly without the drugs.

“When a serious injury with a high % of never recovering occurs, it is just simply not the same,” McGregor wrote in a now-deleted X post. “The % of the bones joining back after a break like this is so low… The state of allowance for athletes to recover from injuries as horrific as the one I overcame must be assessed.” 

The exemption was not granted to McGregor, and the UFC parted ways with the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Fighters Justin Gaethje and Matt Brown had flagged the whole attempt, claiming that there was a loophole in the USADA’s testing program that McGregor was trying to use. McGregor is scheduled to make his comeback on July 11 this year.

His connection to this story, and his high-profile clientele, make him a big red flag. He has operated on Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, and many others in the league. He has also helped in the recovery of Shohei Ohtani and basketball icon Kobe Bryant.

Had there been evidence of ElAttrache administering PEDs to McGregor, there would have been legal trouble for him. In 2010, Canadian physician Dr. Anthony Galea was charged with supplying unlawful drugs, including human growth hormones, to three NFL players. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had said at the time that the league would “pursue [the case] aggressively.”

ElAttrache’s attachment to this case also casts a bad light on the Rams, who have a long-standing relationship with him. Interestingly, his presence on the team played a small part in signing a star player.

Neal ElAttrache helped the Rams get Tre’Davious White

Cornerback Tre’Davious White became a free agent in March 2024 after the Buffalo Bills released him, following an injury to his Achilles tendon. He chose the Rams after a lot of talk with the team, including head coach Sean McVay. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted another interesting overlap: Neal ElAttrache had performed surgery on his leg.

His work with the recovery of Cam Akers also factored into White’s decision to pick the Rams. There were a lot of doubts around the former running back making it back in time for the 2021 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in July that year. The recovery process usually takes nine to 12 months. But Akers was able to return by December 2021, successfully rehabbing his injury in only five and a half months. The genius behind it all was ElAttrache.

“When he came back from the first Achilles, you look at the timetable, and Dr. ElAttrache has some amazing things that he’s able to do to accelerate that,” McVay said in 2024.

Reports claim that Neal ElAttrache would not be facing any serious consequences for getting involved in the McGregor case. However, it will take him quite some time to reestablish his image in the sports medicine field after this controversy.