Conor McGregor Suspension UFC: Irish Star Banned Until 2026 After Missing Doping Tests

Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor has accepted an 18-month suspension for violating the organization’s anti-doping policy after missing three crucial tests in 2024. The UFC confirmed that the suspension, stemming from “whereabouts failures,” will significantly delay the Irish fighter’s highly anticipated return to the octagon.

The missed tests reportedly occurred on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024, leading to the lengthy ban. The period of ineligibility officially began on the date of his third failure (September 20, 2024) and will now conclude on March 20, 2026.

The UFC revealed that McGregor “fully cooperated with CSAD’s investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information that CSAD determined contributed to the missed tests.”

This cooperation ultimately worked in his favor. While the standard sanction for three whereabouts failures is a 24-month ban, the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) agency reduced McGregor’s penalty by six months, citing his compliance and transparency during the probe.

The latest Conor McGregor suspension UFC ruling further extends his absence from competition. McGregor has not fought since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

With this new ban keeping him out until March 2026, McGregor will have spent nearly five years away from professional fighting a huge setback for one of the sport’s biggest names.

Despite this, McGregor had recently hinted at a comeback during a proposed White House fight card in June 2026, but this suspension now makes that timeline uncertain.