Marlon Vera wants USADA to keep testing retired fighters to avoid Conor McGregor loophole

Marlon Vera recently shared his opinion on fighters retiring prematurely in order to be excluded from the USADA testing pool. T.J. Dillashaw is the latest UFC fighter to hang up the gloves, and given his history with PED usage, some fans think he is using the time away from drug testing for illegal gains.

Dillashaw could have taken a leaf out of Conor McGregor's book regarding the retirement plan, or could be operating on his own accord.

Marlon Vera was asked to share his opinion on Dillashaw's retirement when he appeared on the latest episode of Michael Bisping's podcast, Believe You Me. 'Chito' said this:

"[Dillashaw] says he's retired for good. Because it's crazy [that] the moment you retire, you're out the [testing] pool. At least test the guy for a year, or anybody, right? But who knows."

Watch the interview below from 52:10:

Conor McGregor has been under the microscope in recent months after 'The Notorious' put on a staggering amount of muscle. The Irishman has been recovering from a broken leg suffered against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

News broke in September that McGregor had not been tested in 2022, which caused a frenzy amongst MMA fans and the media. People began making assumptions that 'The Notorious' was certainly taking steroids, forcing USADA to release a statement.

The drug-testing agency explained that exemptions from testing can be made in special circumstances, something that Marlon Vera wishes USADA wouldn't allow. Furthermore, 'Chito' believes that in order to stop UFC fighters from temporarily retiring, USADA should continue testing them for at least a year post-retirement.

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Sean O'Malley thinks Marlon Vera will have advantage over Cory Sandhagen due to the size of UFC Apex

Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen are set to do battle on February 18 at the UFC Apex, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 219.

The bout will see two of the most dangerous strikers in the division go toe-to-toe for five rounds. Given where the fight will take place, and the respective styles of the two fighters, Sean O'Malley believes that 'Chito' will have a slight advantage over 25 minutes.

The size of the octagon at the UFC Apex is 25 ft in diameter, whereas the octagon used by the UFC during fights in other arenas is 30 ft in diameter, which results in a 30% decrease in the total surface area.

O'Malley broke the fight down on a recent episode of TheTimboSugarShow, and said this:

"The Apex doesn't have a big cage, it makes zero sense.... I think it gives Chito an advantage, or maybe a disadvantage for Cory."

Watch the video below: