Conor McGregor is "just having fun" with his pictures during USADA controversy, says Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Conor McGregor and USADA. The former two-division UFC champion recently posted photos of himself looking absurdly jacked, sparking rumors of PED use.

While speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Sonnen mentioned that he believes McGregor is clean and is using the photos to have fun with all the online speculation. He noted that the Irishman's lifestyle could be a reason why he removed himself from the USADA testing pool for the time being:

"He's having fun with people. He's clean... I believe that Conor left the [USADA testing] pool because of logistical reasons, the whereabouts clause... If he was off doing 'Road House' and vacationing, and he knew he wasn't going to fight anyway and just didn't want to keep up on the organizational side of it."

'The American Gangster' added that 'Mystic Mac' mentioning February as a target date for the USADA testing pool was his way of generating interest. The former two-division UFC champion is the biggest star in the sport for a reason as he knows how to stay relevant and bring attention to his upcoming plans. Sonnen believes it was a calculated move:

"I believe that he's creating conversation. I know that every word that he said is to insinuate that he's avoiding the pool for scandalous reasons. Just to give you an example, Conor spoke five days ago and said, 'I'll be ready to enter the pool in February.' What do you mean you'll be ready? He knew what he was doing. He wanted that put out there."

If McGregor re-enters the USADA testing pool in February, he'll be eligible to return to active competition in August. Based on his recent photos, his return will likely be contested at welterweight.

Check out the full interview:

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Could Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3 be on the horizon?

The timing of Conor McGregor's return to the USADA testing pool and active competition could be an indicator that he will be fighting Nate Diaz in a trilogy bout.

During Sonnen's appearance on The MMA Hour, he told Ariel Helwani that he believes an immediate UFC return for a trilogy bout with Diaz is the front-runner:

"That's not just gone now and it has to be Jake Paul or Floyd Mayweather and he's gotta go start his own promotion. Those things are all possibilities, but a return is also on the table. In fact, I think it's leading the charge of what's possible... It would not be just coming back, there would be a brand new and fresh conversation to be had."

Their previous bouts were a massive success on pay-per-view for the promotion. UFC 196 generated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, while UFC 202 surpassed that by generating 1.6 million pay-per-view buys.