Conor McGregor denies allegations of replacing TUF contestants with his own fighters

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler began coaching this season of The Ultimate Fighter yesterday, and 'The Notorious' is already causing a stir on the show.

Yesterday, reports emerged that McGregor had kicked several contestants off the show to make room for his own hand-picked fighters. The news was broken by MMA reporter Daniel Rubenstein.

UFC middleweight Chris Curtis called 'The Notorious' out for his alleged actions, and McGregor replied to 'Action Man' to deny the allegations. Curtis tweeted:

"Most definitely true. What a f***ing asshole."

Conor McGregor replied to Curtis in a since-deleted tweet, revealing that he only knows one contestant on the show:

"@Actionman213 not true. I only know 1 guy on this show and he put himself forward for it. And he is now, after today, set to fight the no.1 seed! I didn't ask nor request anything! And I certainly didn't have people removed. I'm just tryna get back in the mix myself so f**k off."

See the tweet below:

Screenshot of McGregor's since-deleted tweet denying reports that he removed contestants from TUF

However, surging bantamweight contender Adrian Yanez took to Twitter to confirm that one of his training partners was kicked off the show. Yanez tweeted:

"@Actionman513 yeah, one of my training partners got sent home"

Conor McGregor is making his second appearance as a coach on TUF, as he went head-to-head with Urijah Faber in 2015.

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Conor McGregor is yet to be tested by USADA in 2023

Conor McGregor last competed against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. 'The Notorious' broke his leg during the first round of the bout, and has been in rehabilitation until recently.

According to USADA, McGregor was removed from the drug testing pool due to a special exemption. To be eligible to fight in the UFC, the Irishman will need to re-enter the testing pool for at least six months prior to stepping into the octagon.

MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter recently confirmed that McGregor is yet to be tested this year.

The Irishman recently began filming the latest season of TUF alongside Michael Chandler. The pair of lightweight stars are set to fight once the show is concluded. The first episode is set to air in May, with the expectation that McGregor and Chandler will fight shortly after the finale.

According to Bronsteter, there is speculation that the fight will take place in September, meaning McGregor will need to enter the testing pool in the upcoming weeks.

"USADA updated their test history today and Conor McGregor is yet to be tested in 2023. If his bout with Michael Chandler is to be booked for September as has been speculated, he will need to reenroll in the USADA anti-doping program in the coming weeks if he hasn't already."

See the tweet below: