TLDR
- Conor McGregor received an 18-month suspension from the UFC for missing three anti-doping tests in 2024
- The suspension runs from September 20, 2024 to March 20, 2026, allowing him to potentially compete at the White House event in June 2026
- Combat Sports Anti-Doping reduced the standard 24-month penalty by six months due to McGregor’s cooperation and injury recovery status
- Khabib Nurmagomedov responded to the news by sharing the story on social media, cropping out McGregor’s head from the image
- McGregor has not fought since July 2021 when a leg injury ended his bout
The UFC has suspended former two-division champion Conor McGregor for 18 months after he missed three mandatory drug tests in 2024. Combat Sports Anti-Doping announced the decision on Tuesday following an investigation into the missed collections.
McGregor failed to appear for biological sample collections on three separate occasions last year. The tests were scheduled for June 13, September 19, and September 20 of 2024. Under UFC regulations, all fighters must maintain accurate whereabouts information to allow for unannounced testing at any time.
The suspension began on September 20, 2024, which was the date of the final missed test. It will end on March 20, 2026. This means McGregor could return to competition later in 2026 if he receives medical clearance and an approved bout.
🚨 BREAKING: Conor McGregor has accepted an 18-month period of ineligibility for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping policy
McGregor failed to provide accurate whereabouts on June 13, September 19 and September 20, 2024 for test collection
He will be eligible to compete on March… pic.twitter.com/ccbovyQQVs
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 7, 2025
Combat Sports Anti-Doping stated that missing three attempted collections within a 12-month period violates the UFC’s anti-doping policy. The standard penalty for three whereabouts failures is 24 months. However, CSAD reduced McGregor’s suspension by six months after considering several factors.
The agency noted that McGregor was recovering from injury during the missed tests. He was not preparing for any upcoming fight at that time. McGregor also cooperated fully with the investigation and accepted responsibility for the violations.
He provided detailed information and documentation that helped explain the circumstances behind the missed tests. Despite these mitigating factors, CSAD stressed that accurate whereabouts filings remain essential to the anti-doping program’s success.
Khabib’s Response
Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was among the first to react to the news. The retired fighter shared a link to an ESPN article about the suspension with his 40.4 million followers on social media.
Khabib cropped McGregor’s head out of the image he posted. While he did not add any written comment, the post reignited interest in their long-standing rivalry. The two fighters faced each other in October 2018 in a bout that generated 2.4 million pay-per-view buys.
Khabib defeated McGregor via submission in the fourth round of that fight. The post came just days after Khabib shared an anniversary video of their encounter seven years ago.
McGregor’s Recent History
McGregor last competed in July 2021 when a leg injury ended his fight early. He was scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, but the bout was cancelled due to his injury.
The 37-year-old fighter rejoined the UFC testing pool in 2025. He has submitted four samples since returning to the program. Combat Sports Anti-Doping operates independently and oversees the UFC’s year-round testing program.
Drug Free Sport International collects the samples. They are analyzed at the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City.
The UFC released a statement emphasizing the importance of unannounced testing to their anti-doping program. The organization acknowledged McGregor’s cooperation but reinforced the necessity of maintaining accurate whereabouts information.
Potential Return Date
With his suspension ending in March 2026, McGregor could potentially compete at the White House UFC card scheduled for June 14, 2026. President Donald Trump announced plans to host the event. McGregor has been rumored as a possible participant for that card.
