Nikita Krylov, who squares off against Robert Whittaker at UFC 329, received a special honor at media day this week: A jacket commemorating 50 clean drug tests throughout his career. The presentation came courtesy of Clean Fighters, presented by Thorne Nutrition, on behalf of the UFC.
Thorne serves as the promotion’s Official Sports Performance Nutrition Partner, a partnership renewed and expanded as part of the UFC’s broader push toward transparency and athlete health standards.
The Clean Fighters initiative has increasingly become a way for the UFC to publicly recognize fighters with long, consistent histories of clean testing, a milestone that carries extra weight given the sport’s past scrutiny over performance-enhancing drug use.
Conor McGregor, who returns at UFC 329, is the most tested fighter in 2026
Testing has also been a talking point around the man headlining the UFC 329 card. Addressing questions about Conor McGregor’s five-year absence, the UFC put out a statement explaining that McGregor did not compete for five years and maintained proper communication with the promotion throughout, remaining in full compliance with the rules of its drug program.
McGregor has been tested 22 times over the past two years, including 14 times in 2026, making him the most-tested athlete during this time.
For Nikita Krylov, a veteran with dozens of fights across more than a decade in the UFC, the recognition adds a quieter storyline to fight week as he prepares for his light heavyweight bout with the former middleweight champion.
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