“He only confirmed my point by throwing this tantrum,” Smith said on the next episode of the Believe You Me podcast. “He said in plain text that he had to do this because the fracture was serious, the treatment was not going well, and the chances of a successful recovery were low. I don’t even question the reason – I understand that. If there is something that will help me heal and I can do it legally, I will definitely do it. Because I will recover much faster.”
According to Smith, his claims were addressed not so much to McGregor as to the US Anti-Doping Agency, which allowed the Irishman to leave the testing pool for the duration of treatment.
“What annoys me about this situation is that guys like Anderson Silva, like Chris Weidman, and myself, because I had enough severe injuries, we didn’t have the opportunity to get out of the USADA testing pool, to recover and then return without any consequences. That’s where I see the problem.”
“They say he doesn’t break the rules. This is because different rules apply to it. I didn’t have that opportunity. According to USADA rules, the only way to get out of the testing pool is to end the contract with the UFC or retire. If you could do the way Conor did, I think a lot more fighters would take advantage of it. Some of them will really be treated, while others will try to cheat the system. Did Conor break the rules? They say no. Because there are no rules for him.”
Earlier, Conor McGregor, recovering from a broken leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier, announced that he would return to doping tests in February and, after two tests, would begin preparations for the next fight, and USADA representatives replied that the Irishman was waiting for a six-month testing period.