Conor McGregor’s UFC Suspension Leaves Fans With Questions

Plenty of circumstances keep athletes away from the sports they love. Injuries, controversies, and suspensions are some of the plot twists that can trump a professional's career. Fans of these public figures miss their idols while they're away.

Doping suspensions are no laughing matter.

There's no denying that Conor McGregor is one of the biggest stars the UFC has produced. The mixed martial artist is ruthless, and his victory record backs up the claims that he makes. It was hard for anyone to stop Conor while he was a more active fighter.

Why did the UFC suspend Conor? Here's what we know about the situation that will keep the athlete away from the octagon for over a year.

According to the BBC, Conor's suspension is related to the wellness policy meetings arranged by the UFC. In a surprising turn of events, the suspension wasn't implemented because Conor failed a test, as it usually happens when wellness policy rules affect an athlete's career.

UFC stars have to attend wellness policy meetings occasionally. The company must constantly be aware of the fighters' whereabouts in order to conduct the tests.

The actual problem with Conor has to do with attendance. The popular fighter missed three biological sample collections in 2024. The meetings were scheduled for June 13, September 19, and September 20 of that year.

The UFC must let fighters know that there are consequences for their actions. The athlete was suspended for two years after the company failed to reach Conor for his wellness policy checks. The ban was effective September 20, 2024.

Good behavior can go a long way. The Combat Sports Anti-Doping reduced the ban to 18 months because Conor cooperated with the investigation related to his case. The change appointed the conclusion of the ban to take place on March 20, 2026.

It will take a while for UFC fans to see Conor again in the octagon. In the meantime, the sport's followers can watch the company's offerings on Paramount+.

The UFC is ready to take over one of the biggest stages in its history. The company will host an event at the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America on June 14, 2026.

Conor wants to be involved in the action. The fighter has expressed interest in appearing on the event's card. However, that might be more difficult than Conor originally thought.

Dana White, the president of the UFC, firmly stated that the UFC White House card is still up in the air (via BBC): "I made it clear that Conor wants to fight on that card, and you can clearly see Conor is very fired-up to fight on that card, but nothing is done yet. No fights are being negotiated with the White House."

If Conor were selected to participate in the UFC White House, the suspension wouldn't prevent his potential appearance at the event.