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Ex-UFC star Matt Brown criticises Conor McGregor’s 18-month retroactive ban

Originally posted on HITC | By Ross Markey | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 6:54 PM ET

One of the UFC’s most experienced fighters has spoken out against the league’s decision to suspend Conor McGregor.

The former lightweight and featherweight champion has received an 18-month suspension from the promotion, but it is retroactive in nature, meaning he is eligible to return in time for next summer’s UFC White House card.

The ban was handed down after McGregor failed to report his whereabouts on three separate occasions for random drug testing under the CSAD anti-doping policy.

However, one former welterweight believes that due to the retroactive nature of the ban, it would be unfair for him to feature at such a high-profile event so soon after serving his suspension.

Matt Brown calls out Conor McGregor’s UFC suspension

Conor McGregor’s UFC return is set for next summer on the White House card, but not everyone agrees with how he got there.

McGregor, a former champion, is currently serving an 18-month retroactive suspension for missing three anti-doping tests. He plans to fight again soon, but not everyone thinks his path back is fair.

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“Whoever’s fighting Conor, are they not going to be like what the f—?” Brown continued. “He knows what’s happening. You’re going to tell me if the UFC’s controlling the doping, and they’re doing a White House card next year, and then say Conor fails a test the week before, are they not going to be like ‘all right Conor, we can’t really say anything right now.’”

“What the f— are they going to do? Are they going to pull out Conor from the f*cking White House event? …It’s just not right.”

Matt Brown had challenged Conor McGregor for a UFC record

Brown, who retired last summer, spent much of his career alongside McGregor, even though they never crossed paths in the cage.

He finished his time in the Octagon with 13 knockouts, matching Derrick Lewis for the most in UFC history at the time.

Brown later acknowledged McGregor’s praise and even suggested they fight to decide who would hold the knockout record outright. Nothing ever came of it, but it added another chapter to their ongoing back-and-forth.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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