Conor McGregor has accepted an 18-month suspension for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy after failing to submit to three attempted tests in 2024, the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Agency (CSAD) announced Tuesday.
“McGregor missed three attempted biological sample collections within a 12-month period in 2024, which constitutes a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy,” CSAD said in a statement.
The missed tests occurred on June 13, Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, each recorded as a whereabouts failure.
Under the program, UFC athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information at all times to allow for unannounced sample collections.
The sanction is retroactive to Sept. 20, 2024 – the date of the third missed test – and runs through March 20, 2026.
CSAD noted McGregor was rehabbing an injury and not in fight preparation during the missed collections and that he fully cooperated with the inquiry, accepted responsibility and supplied information explaining the circumstances.
Citing those factors, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month penalty for three whereabouts failures by six months.
“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,” CSAD added.
CSAD administers the UFC’s year-round program independently.
Sample collections are performed by Drug Free Sport International and testing is conducted at the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City.
McGregor, 37, re-entered the UFC testing pool and has provided four samples in 2025.
The former two-division champion has not competed since July 2021.
His planned bout with Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024 was canceled after McGregor withdrew with an injury.
With the suspension ending March 20, 2026, McGregor would be eligible to compete again in the spring, pending medical clearance and any bout agreement.
That timing would allow him to participate in the UFC card slated for the White House, which President Donald Trump recently announced would take place June 14, 2026.
