McGregor Receives 18-Month Suspension: Reasons Behind Anti-Doping Authorities' Decision.

Habib Nurmagomedov Ignites New Passion

According to The Sun: Habib Nurmagomedov has once again mocked Conor McGregor over his 18-month ban from the UFC, reigniting their long-standing feud. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor in 2018, winning in the fourth round in one of the most significant battles in UFC history.

Habib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor in 2018Getty - Contributor

Nurmagomedov ended his career in 2020 after the death of his father and mentor Abdulmanap, which made a rematch impossible. However, fresh talks about the old rivalry have brought this topic back up, as Nurmagomedov decided to mention McGregor again.

On his Instagram, he shared news about McGregor's doping violation, confirming information about his suspension.

The reason for the violation was that McGregor failed to inform the Anti-Doping Commission (CSAD) about his whereabouts three times.

This is a violation of the American anti-doping policy of the UFC.

McGregor missed testing that was scheduled for June 13, September 19, and September 20 of last year.

As a result, he agreed to an 18-month ban starting from September 20 - the date of his third missed test.

However, he will be able to return to the UFC on March 20 of next year when a show is scheduled at the White House on June 14, 2026.

UFC participants must always provide up-to-date information about their whereabouts for random testing.

This resulted in McGregor falling under the 'location failure' category according to the UFC ADP.

id='6380083042112' data-video-id='6380083042112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.7:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'>

McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he severely broke his leg during a fight with Dustin Poirier. He had planned to return against Michael Chandler on June 29, 2024, but withdrew due to a finger injury on June 13.

Thus, his first location failure occurred after withdrawing from the fight — the first time in his career.

CSAD noted that McGregor was not preparing for a fight at the time of the three missed tests, as he was undergoing rehabilitation for an injury – a broken finger.

Reportedly, McGregor 'fully cooperated with the CSAD investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information that, according to CSAD, influenced the missed tests.'

Due to the cooperation and circumstances, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month ban for three location failures by six months.

This is McGregor's first doping violation in his UFC career.

He has not yet commented on the CSAD decision.

This came just after the former two-division champion announced a break from social media and withdrew from the Irish presidential elections.

“Hello, online friends, I am going away for a while, see you all again soon! My love, unchanged! Thank you all.”

McGregor, who recently returned to training after announcing plans to fight at the White House, has already faced controversies during his absence. Last December, he was found guilty of assault that took place in 2018.

The court heard testimony about how McGregor 'brutally beat and assaulted' Nikita Hend at the Beacon Hotel penthouse in Dublin.

McGregor was ordered to pay Ms. Hend £206,000 in damages and cover her legal costs – after losing an appeal on the verdict.

UFC STATEMENT IN FULL

UFC released a statement clarifying the circumstances that led to McGregor's ban. It stated:

“While McGregor did not make himself available for testing on those dates, CSAD noted that he was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for a future fight at the time of the three missed tests.”

“McGregor fully cooperated with the CSAD investigation, took responsibility, and provided detailed information that, according to CSAD, influenced the missed tests.”

“Taking into account McGregor's cooperation and the circumstances, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three instances of location failure by six months.”

“His period of unavailability began on September 20, 2024 (the date of his third location failure) and will end on March 20, 2026.”

McGregor even hinted at the possibility of RETIREMENT during a Bare Knuckle press conference in March – although he quickly backtracked on his words.

In August, McGregor returned to the UFC testing pool, as he needs to pass six months of clean tests before his next fight.

In July, US President Donald Trump first announced plans to hold UFC fights on the White House grounds, coinciding with his 80th birthday on June 14.

UFC President Dana White is negotiating to make this event a reality in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The estimated number of spectators will only be 5,000 people amid strict security protocols.

McGregor, 37, is among the top contenders for a fight in this event, and White is negotiating the star's return to the octagon.

He stated: “We will create the greatest card of all time.”

“Conor and I are constantly talking, he wants this fight, and when you reach the level that Conor is at, you have to find things that motivate you, and the White House card has undoubtedly motivated Conor McGregor.”

Reuters X

McGregor will remain eligible to participate in the UFC event at the White House next year.