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 sanction, announced on Tuesday, is due to multiple failures in the presentation of tests. McGregor’s suspension is retroactive to September 20, 2024, and will end on March 20, 2026. CSAD, the internal agency that manages the UFC’s anti-doping program, reported that the suspension is due to three “whereabouts failures.” McGregor did not show up for testing on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024, and did not provide accurate information about his location.According to CSAD, UFC athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information at all times to be contacted and undergo testing without prior notice. McGregor’s failures occurred on the mentioned dates and were classified as “Whereabouts Failures”. The June 13th failure coincided with the announcement of the cancellation of McGregor’s scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. CSAD noted that McGregor was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for a fight at the time of the failed tests. CSAD highlighted McGregor’s cooperation in the investigation, his acceptance of responsibility, and the detailed information he provided, which contributed to the failures in the tests. Due to cooperation and mitigating circumstances, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures in six months. McGregor’s ineligibility period began on September 20, 2024, and will end on March 20, 2026. This suspension comes a day after McGregor announced on X that he would be taking an indefinite break from social media. The former two-division champion is currently in the UFC’s drug testing pool, having 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’s ADP,” reads a CSAD press release on the UFC website.
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