Ben Askren thinks Conor McGregor is 'an addict'

Former Bellator and ONE champion Ben Askren believes there’s a reason why former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor hasn’t made an octagon return.  Askren believes McGregor is ‘an addict.’  

“It’s pretty obvious to me that Conor McGregor is an addict,” Askren said on Funky and the Champ podcast.  “He is charismatic enough, rich enough that it doesn’t really have a hugely negative impact on his live so everyone kind of lets him do what he wants to do.

“This guy is clearly out partying, can’t show up for a training camp and because he can’t show up at training camp he can’t get ready to fight,” Askren continued.  “There’s videos of him praying constantly.  And listen, f you’re rich and famous and I guess you’re not murdering anyone, or anything worse where you’re going to go to jail, it’s fine.  Whatever.  Go live your life, but he did kind of drag on this fact that he was going to fight for two years.”

Askren speculated that McGregor is addicted to both drugs and alcohol but didn’t feel comfortable saying definitively without having seen McGregor use drugs.  

“I don’t know that I can make any pronouncements without having seen him do it, but I’ve watched enough videos to know that his guy is out of control,” Askren said.  “He’s partying constantly and from all rumors he’s on multiple substances.”

McGregor has been out of action since breaking his leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.  McGregor’s octagon return was booked against Michael Chandler for UFC 303 on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but he was forced out of the bout due to a toe injury.