Conor McGregor Receives 18-Month Suspension for Anti-Doping Test Failure
The 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 end on March 20, 2026. This sanction comes after McGregor accumulated three “whereabouts failures” in 2024, meaning he did not show up for drug tests on the specified dates or provide accurate information about his location.The violations occurred on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024. CSAD classifies these incidents as “whereabouts failures” under the UFC’s anti-doping program. Athletes must provide accurate location information at all times to facilitate no-notice testing. On June 13, the day of the first missed test, also 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 not preparing for a fight at the time of the failed tests. In consideration of McGregor’s cooperation with the investigation and his explanation of the circumstances, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures in six months. This 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 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,” according to a CSAD press release published on the UFC website.
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