Conor McGregor Suspended for 18 Months for Anti-Doping Violations
The renowned MMA 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 sanction comes at a crucial moment, as McGregor actively seeks to participate in the UFC’s White House card, scheduled for June 14, coinciding with the birthday of former President Donald Trump. The suspension was imposed due to three “whereabouts failures” in which McGregor did not show up for doping tests on the dates of June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024. These failures are due to the lack of precise information about his location, preventing the necessary tests from being carried out.According to UFC regulations, athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information to facilitate no-notice testing. McGregor, although not preparing for a fight due to injury, did not meet these requirements on the mentioned dates. Despite the failures, CSAD acknowledged McGregor’s cooperation during the investigation, as well as his acceptance of responsibility and the detailed information he provided. This collaboration led to a six-month reduction in the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures. The current suspension began on September 20, 2024 and will end on March 20, 2026. 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, and has submitted four samples in 2025.“McGregor failed to appear for three attempts to collect biological samples within a 12-month period in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC ADP,” CSAD stated.
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