UFC star Conor McGregor has received and accepted an 18-month suspension under the UFC’s anti-doping policy, retroactive to September 2024, making him eligible to return in March 2026.
Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), the organization responsible for administering the UFC’s testing program, announced McGregor’s suspension on Tuesday. In a press release, the agency stated that McGregor missed three biological sample collections within a 12-month period in 2024, triggering a violation of the policy.
“UFC athletes are required to provide accurate whereabouts information at all times, so they can be contacted and submit to biological sample collections without prior warning. McGregor’s missed tests occurred on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024, and were each classified as Whereabouts Failures by CSAD under the UFC ADP,” the press release read.
CSAD clarified the circumstances surrounding the situation, noting that McGregor was not in active competition at the time. In the statement, the organization explained the reasoning behind its decision.
“Although McGregor failed to make himself available for testing on those dates, CSAD noted that he was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for an upcoming fight at the time of the three missed tests. McGregor fully cooperated with CSAD’s investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information that CSAD determined contributed to the missed tests,” it continued.
While CSAD acknowledged McGregor’s cooperation and the context surrounding his missed tests, the organization still imposed a formal sanction. In its statement, the agency emphasized the importance of maintaining testing integrity and outlined the specifics of McGregor’s reduced suspension.
“Despite these mitigating factors, CSAD emphasizes that accurate whereabouts filings and the ability to conduct unannounced testing are essential to the success of the UFC ADP. Taking McGregor’s cooperation and circumstances into account, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures by six months. His period of ineligibility began on September 20, 2024 (the date of his third whereabouts failure) and will conclude on March 20, 2026,” CSAD wrote.
Notably, McGregor’s first whereabouts failure occurred on June 13, 2024, the same day he withdrew from his scheduled UFC 303 bout against Michael Chandler. The end date of his suspension opens the way for him to compete at the UFC’s White House card next June.
