Conor McGregor has obtained an 18-month suspension beneath the UFC’s anti-doping coverage, however he’ll be cleared to return to motion in early 2026.
On Tuesday, Fight Sports activities Anti-Doping (CSAD) — the in-house company that runs the UFC’s anti-doping program— introduced that McGregor accepted the 18-month sanction after repeated failures to submitted testing samples as required by athletes beneath contract with the promotion.
“McGregor missed three tried organic pattern collections inside a 12-month interval in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC [anti-doping policy],” CSAD officers wrote in a press launch. “UFC athletes are required to offer correct whereabouts info always, to allow them to be contacted and undergo organic pattern collections with out prior warning.
“McGregor’s missed checks occurred on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024, and had been every labeled as Whereabouts Failures by CSAD beneath the UFC ADP.”
Whereas every missed check counted towards McGregor, CSAD officers famous that he was out of motion coping with an damage and never getting ready for an upcoming struggle when the samples had been speculated to be collected.
“McGregor absolutely cooperated with CSAD’s investigation, accepted duty, and offered detailed info that CSAD decided contributed to the missed checks,” CSAD officers famous.
“Regardless of these mitigating elements, CSAD emphasizes that correct whereabouts filings and the power to conduct unannounced testing are important to the success of the UFC ADP. Taking McGregor’s cooperation and circumstances under consideration, CSAD diminished the usual 24-month sanction for 3 whereabouts failures by six months. His interval of ineligibility started on September 20, 2024 (the date of his third whereabouts failure) and can conclude on March 20, 2026.”
The suspension and the expiration date when McGregor is eligible to compete once more gained’t intrude together with his deliberate return to motion, which he has repeatedly said comes for the UFC White Home card now scheduled on June 14.
McGregor hasn’t fought since 2021 when he suffered a damaged leg in a struggle towards Dustin Poirier. He was initially scheduled to return in 2024 for a showdown with Michael Chandler however the Irish celebrity suffered a damaged toe in coaching that pressured him off the cardboard.
After President Donald Trump introduced plans to carry a UFC occasion on the White Home in 2026, McGregor instantly stated he needed to struggle on the cardboard with hopes that he may lastly settle some unfinished enterprise with Chandler.
McGregor remains to be present process testing as a part of the UFC’s anti-doping program with the previous two-division champion already submitting 4 samples in 2025.
