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“Its About the Mission…”- Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan Receive UFC Legend’s Backing Amid Dana White’s War Against USADA

Published 10/15/2023, 6:37 AM EDT

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Days after USADA’s onslaught on Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan, Chael Sonnen has lambasted the person he blames for this severing. And it’s none other than USADA CEO, Travis Tygart.

Lately, things have been going sour between the UFC and USADA after Dana White‘s promotion announced they are parting ways with the drug testing agency. The two organizations have been on bad terms over Conor McGregor‘s absence from the testing pool. However, things took a major dive last week after Tygart went public over this. And it looks like it’s not just the UFC that has a problem with this action.

Chael Sonnen goes off on Travis Tygart after jabs at Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan

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In one of the recent videos on his Instagram channel, Chael Sonnen lashed out at USADA CEO Travis Tygart. Calling out Tygart, Sonnen said, “Do not come out and start trying to do public relations. Operate quietly. It’s about the mission, not the accomplishment.” For those unaware, Sonnen’s statement comes after Tygart’s recent statement on Conor McGregor and the UFC.

Recently, the USADA CEO announced that they will be ending their eight-year-long relationship with the promotion in January. According to Tygart, he isn’t sure if the UFC would respect their stipulations when it comes to someone of Conor McGregor’s stature.

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Hence, to safeguard its credibility and ethics, the testing agency would part ways with Dana White and the company. Apart from this, Tygart also blamed another big face from the UFC- veteran commentator, Joe Rogan.

To no one’s surprise, this statement was met with harsh criticism, the latest of which came from Chael Sonnen. According to Sonnen, USADA’s recent actions have more to do with publicity and less with their actual commitment to their cause. The former UFC title challenger drew parallels with the events of 2012 when a similar situation erupted surrounding Lance Armstrong’s use of anabolic steroids.

Just like the current fiasco, the USADA CEO was then quite vocal on the matter publicly, something which serves as the basis for Sonnen’s allegations. Meanwhile, the UFC already has a plan in place to continue their testing program.

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A new home-grown drug testing program will replace USADA’s role in UFC

After ending their tie-up with USADA, the UFC will be moving forward with their testing agency. For this, the promotion has entered into a partnership with the anti-doping agency Drug Free Sport International, beginning on January 1, 2024. According to the latest report, this program will be helmed by former FBI special agent George Piro, famed for his interrogation of Saddam Hussein.

This move comes after the UFC officials criticized USADA CEO Travis Tygart’s recent statement. Talking about the scenario, UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky, said, “Individuals can actually make your program stronger and better, and that’s exactly what’s happening right now with our program,” thus, green signaling a new era of drug testing for the UFC.

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What are your thoughts on this growing tussle between USADA and UFC? Are you expecting any more surprises before their contract ends in December? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Aditya Vaibhav

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Aditya Vaibhav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He discovered MMA in the year 2009 after watching Chuck Liddell on Spike TV’s Deadliest Warrior, at the age of 10. A follower of combat sports, Aditya uses writing as a medium to actively participate in the domain he is so passionate about.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen