Conor McGregor accuses Nate Diaz of being a ‘steroid user’, Diaz responds

By now we know that Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are like those two kids on the playground that you have to keep separated at all times. In 2021 the playground is often replaced by the Twittersphere.

Yesterday McGregor used Twitter to go after his rival with accusations of steroid use. In his first message on the subject, McGregor tagged UFC health and performance czar Jeff Novitzky.

“How come the public isn’t told about positive tests anymore?” asked McGregor. “How after the Nate Diaz steroid debacle, where he produced his own nutrition companies [sic] tainted multivitamin, was instantly cleared prior to a mega money fight, are we now in the dark on test results?”

In this tweet McGregor is referring to a 2019 incident related to Diaz’s pre-fight USADA test ahead of his bout with Jorge Masvidal. After an adverse finding in that test Diaz was quickly cleared of any wrongdoing by USADA and Novitzky went on record saying that the test result was due to a contaminated multivitamin.

McGregor followed that up by parroting a previous statement from Diaz.

‘“Everybody’s on steroids” – Steroid user Nathan Diaz” tweeted McGregor. McGregor did get a response to his first tweet, from Novitzky. In that response Novitzky directed McGregor to a 2019 press conference he did regarding Diaz’s test. Novitzky also invited McGregor to give him a call to chat one-on-one.

After getting the response from Novitzky McGregor posted a sarcastic thank you message. “Well anyways thanks for clearing that up for me Jeff, the silence makes perfect sense,” wrote McGregor. “Also where is my usada over 50 clean tests completed jacket I see everyone else get? I want to wipe my ass with it.”

And of course, Diaz couldn’t let the moment pass without adding his two cents—and a dig at McGregor. “This is what steroids do to u,” wrote Diaz above a picture of a defeated McGregor from their fight at UFC 196.

Diaz and McGregor first tangled in 2016, when Diaz came in as a late replacement for then UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. The fight, which took place at welterweight, ended with Diaz tapping McGregor out with a rear naked choke.

The pair booked an immediate rematch for UFC 202 five months later. That fight, which was also at welterweight, ended in a majority decision for McGregor.

Since then both men have occasionally expressed an interest in a trilogy fight. Currently McGregor is booked to face Dustin Poirier for the third time. Diaz is due to face Leon Edwards.