McGregor Suspended 18 Months for Failing Anti-Doping Tests: UFC and CSAD

Conor McGregor Receives 18-Month Suspension for Anti-Doping Violation

Conor McGregor has been suspended for 18 months by the UFC’s anti-doping program, Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD). The suspension, retroactive to September 20, 2024, will end on March 20, 2026. This sanction comes at a crucial moment, just over three months before the UFC card at the White House, an event announced by former President Donald Trump for his birthday, June 14th. McGregor had expressed his interest in participating in this event, which would mark his return to competition after almost five years. CSAD, the agency in charge of the UFC’s anti-doping program, announced 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.

“McGregor missed three attempts to collect biological samples within a 12-month period in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC’s ADP,” stated a CSAD press release on the UFC website.

CSAD

According to CSAD, UFC athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information at all times 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 pointed out that, at that time, McGregor was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for a fight. CSAD also highlighted that McGregor fully cooperated with the investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information that contributed to the failures in the tests. Due to cooperation and circumstances, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures in six months. The period of ineligibility began on September 20, 2024, and will end on March 20, 2026. The suspension was announced a day after McGregor reported on X that he would take 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.