Conor McGregor accepts doping ban

Conor McGregor accepts doping ban

Sports

Irish MMA star Conor McGregor, who has not competed since 2021, has been handed an 18-month suspension from all sporting activities after failing three doping tests in 2024, according to an announcement from the UFC’s anti-doping agency.

The 37-year-old McGregor accepted the sanction, as stated by the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) agency, which manages the anti-doping program for the UFC led by Dana White, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

CSAD noted that McGregor “cooperated” with the investigation, was “recovering from injury” at the time, and “was not preparing for a fight.” The agency therefore reduced his suspension from 24 to 18 months, retroactive to September 2024 — the month of his last missed test (June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024).

The famous Irish fighter will be eligible to compete again from March 20, 2026, and may even be one of the main attractions at the MMA event scheduled to take place at the White House on June 14, in celebration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

McGregor has repeatedly expressed his desire to fight at the White House. Dana White, a close ally of the Republican leader, has so far stated that no negotiations with fighters for the event have begun.

A huge MMA star and multiple-time champion, “Notorious” has not appeared in the octagon since his defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

A leading figure in Ireland’s anti-immigration movement, McGregor withdrew last month from the country’s presidential race, which is scheduled for late October.

McGregor was convicted last November in a civil sexual assault case and lost his appeal at the end of July. He has also been sued in a U.S. federal civil court by a woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her in Miami in June 2023.

Tags

Related articles