Conor McGregor Receives 18-Month Suspension for Non-Compliance with Anti-Doping Tests
The renowned mixed martial arts fighter, Conor McGregor, has been suspended for 18 months by the UFC’s anti-doping program, Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD). The suspension, which began on September 20, 2024, will extend until March 20, 2026. This period of disqualification comes at a crucial moment, just over three months before a UFC event announced for the birthday of former President Donald Trump, June 14th. McGregor had expressed his interest in participating in this card, which would mark his return to the octagon after almost five years of absence. The suspension is due to three “whereabouts failures” in which McGregor did not show up for drug tests on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024. According to CSAD, these failures are considered violations of the UFC’s anti-doping program, as athletes must provide accurate location information to facilitate no-notice testing.The June 13th failure coincided with the announcement of the cancellation of the McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight at UFC 303. CSAD indicated that McGregor was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for a fight at the time of the failures. Despite the breaches, CSAD highlighted McGregor’s cooperation during the investigation, his acceptance of responsibility, and the detailed information he provided. As a result, the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures was reduced by six months. The news of the suspension comes a day after McGregor announced on X that he would be taking an indefinite break from social media. Currently, the former two-division champion is in the UFC’s drug testing pool, with four samples submitted in 2025.“McGregor did not show up for three biological sample collection attempts within a 12-month period in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC’s ADP,” indicates a CSAD press release on the UFC website.
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