The UFC’s anti-doping numbers were quietly updated this week. And like always, there was neither a press conference nor an announcement. Just a database refresh and one name sitting right at the top.

In a year when the organization is navigating a new broadcast era, fan criticism about inactivity at the top, and anticipation about blockbuster cards such as the UFC White House event, the most tested fighter of 2026 isn’t an active champion. It’s Conor McGregor.

Conor McGregor isn’t surprised at topping the anti-doping chart

MMA journalist Jed I. Goodman shared on X that 597 fighters have been tested this year, with a total of 771 samples collected. Fighters, including Alexander Volkanovski, Jon Jones, Sean O’Malley, Sean Strickland, and Rose Namajunas, have all been tested twice.

Conor McGregor? Three times. The highest on the list. So, as expected, ‘The Notorious’ didn’t ignore it.

“Well, no surprise there,” he wrote on X. “As always, the most tested.”

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

It was a classic McGregor moment, half flex, half reminder that even in his absence, he is still the center of attention. It is also worth noting that the irony is not lost on anyone.

The former UFC double champion is coming off an 18-month retroactive suspension due to missed whereabouts filings under the promotion’s current anti-doping policy, CSAD. His suspension is due to end in March, allowing him to fight again after all his comeback plans have stagnated due to injuries and scheduling chaos. But this time, the timing feels different.

Conor McGregor has publicly expressed an interest in fighting at the UFC’s next White House event in June 2026, which Dana White believes might be the highest-viewed event in company history. Increased testing often signals preparation. Or at the very least, intent.

In a year where heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been sidelined, and middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev has yet to confirm a defense, the UFC’s biggest commercial star returning to the testing pool feels significant.

No fight announcement has been made yet. But being the most tested fighter on the roster? That is not random. As for his next opponent? Conor McGregor claims he’s accepted a fight against a ‘no-name’ opponent for his UFC comeback.

McGregor provides a major update on his comeback

If the testing activity suggested that something was brewing, Conor McGregor’s words only made it louder. Earlier this week, he tweeted—and soon deleted—a message suggesting that his comeback opponent and date are set.

“I have been offered an opponent and a date, and I accept,” he wrote. “Waiting on my contract.”

That is not vague hype. That’s negotiation language. And to make things more interesting, he doubled down with another eyebrow-raiser. Conor McGregor hinted that his return may not even be against a well-known fighter.

“It’s a no-name up next for me, possibly, folks,” McGregor wrote on X. “And as you know, idgaf. I ACCEPT. Send the contract, lads.

“CONOR MCGREGOR’S DEAL.”

For a man who usually demands the biggest stage and biggest rival, that’s a shift in tone. There has been no official announcement from Dana White, but the pieces feel closer than they have in years. Between the testing numbers and the contract talk, this doesn’t feel like nostalgia. It feels like positioning.

If Conor McGregor is actually unconcerned by the name across from him, the only thing left is the date, and June 14th seems to be the perfect one for fight fans.