Conor McGregor will be sidelined from UFC competition for the next year and a half.
According to UFC.com, officials announced on Tuesday that the former two-division champion has accepted an 18-month period of ineligibility after violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP). The Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), which oversees the UFC's testing program, stated McGregor failed to make himself available for three attempted biological sample collections within a 12-month span in 2024.
Under UFC rules, that constitutes a violation known as a "whereabouts failure." The missed tests occurred on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024, according to the CSAD. McGregor's ineligibility period officially began on September 20, 2024, and will conclude on March 20, 2026, nearly five years since his last appearance inside the Octagon.
The UFC's anti-doping program is administered independently by CSAD, with testing conducted by Drug Free Sport International and analysis handled by the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah.
While McGregor missed all three collection attempts, CSAD acknowledged he was recovering from an injury and not preparing for an active fight at the time. The organization noted that McGregor cooperated fully with its investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided information that helped explain the missed tests.
Due to his cooperation, CSAD reduced the typical 24-month sanction by six months. Still, the agency emphasized the importance of accurate whereabouts information and unannounced testing as "essential to the success of the UFC Anti-Doping Program."
McGregor last fought in July 2021, when he suffered a leg injury in a loss to Dustin Poirier. His long-awaited return has been delayed several times amid injuries, filming commitments, and questions about his testing pool status.
This story is being updated.