Conor McGregor Suspended for 18 Months for Failing Drug Tests
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 after several breaches related to the athlete’s whereabouts for anti-doping tests. McGregor, who has been promoting his possible participation in an upcoming event, will now have to wait to return to the octagon.Suspension Details
CSAD revealed that the suspension is due to three “whereabouts failures” in which McGregor did not show up for testing on June 13, September 19 and 20, 2024. These failures refer to the lack of precise information about his location, preventing the carrying out of anti-doping tests.According to UFC regulations, athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information at all times to facilitate no-notice testing. It is important to note that, although McGregor was not available for testing on those dates, CSAD acknowledged that he was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for a fight at that time. McGregor fully cooperated with the CSAD investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information, leading to a six-month reduction in the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures. The current suspension will conclude 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. 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 attempts to collect biological samples within a 12-month period in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC ADP,” according to a CSAD press release.
CSAD
