AUSTIN, TEXAS: Conor McGregor has been MIA for quite some time. The fighter has been planning his comeback from the sidelines after suffering a catastrophic leg break at UFC 264. He began his recuperation procedure a few months after his injury.

Many people remarked that the Irishman had grown to be twice his previous size around this time. As a result, everyone came to the obvious conclusion that McGregor was utilizing steroids to aid his recuperation.

However, Joe Rogan believes that the MMA star's health may suffer due to delayed natural hormone development.

'He got f**king jacked'

The color commentator remarked, “And you look at Conor after that leg break, he got f**king jacked. Just huge f**king shoulders and like – that’s generally not the result of natural hormones. That’s generally the result of exogenous hormone use."

Furthermore, Rogan stated, “If someone takes steroids. Say if you take steroids for six months, you need a year to bounce back to normal hormone levels after that, especially if you’re doing it naturally."

According to Rogan, due to McGregor's age, it will take some time for his body to naturally produce hormones. Furthermore, McGregor would be required to re-enter USADA's testing pool for six months before being permitted to fight. As a result, The Notorious One's return to the Octagon appears to be a lengthy affair.

McGregor has recently been talking a lot about other fighters. Specifically, the 35-year-old has targeted Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira.

Following The Highlight's victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, McGregor expressed an interest in fighting for the BMF title. Conor also chastised Charles Oliveira at the time for a remark on one of his tweets.

'I’ll start recording my work again'

Having said that, McGregor has lately promised fans some much-anticipated fight news.

McGregor said on Twitter, “I’ll start recording my work again to share with you all while we get this next fight on and set. It’s coming I promise. All my real fans, the fans of the real fighter, it’s coming, I promise!"

While McGregor has made similar promises in the past, it appears there is no way for him to keep them.

Given Rogan's comments and the complexities surrounding Conor's alleged steroid use, it will be some time before we see the Irishman in action. Despite having totally recovered, Conor appears to be in the one-year period when his body will start producing natural hormones.

As a result, it stands to reason that McGregor hasn't returned to USADA's testing pool knowing that the steroids haven't been totally washed out.

UFC President Dana White must respect USADA's rules, but Conor's next fight will be revealed after TUF 31 ends, with potential new opponents or Michael Chandler.