ACA president Magomed Babulatov provided a candid assessment of doping in the promotion, stating that more fighters use banned substances than compete clean. He noted that fighters accepting bouts on short notice are typically the cleanest, suggesting they don't have time to use performance-enhancing drugs. Babulatov acknowledged that implementing effective doping control is expensive and would require cooperation among all Russian promotions, which he considers unlikely. The league has been testing fighters and maintains data on usage patterns, but Babulatov is still deciding on a course of action, initially considering one-year suspensions for violators. He also mentioned that the promotion allows some approved medications to assist fighters in recovery.
Absolute Championship Akhmat president Magomed Babulatov has made a striking admission about doping inside his organization, stating publicly that the majority of fighters competing in the promotion are using banned substances rather than competing clean.
Babulatov offered a candid breakdown of how performance-enhancing drug use operates within the league. Among his more notable observations was that fighters who accept bouts on short notice tend to be among the cleanest in the promotion, simply because the compressed timeline leaves little opportunity to cycle onto banned substances before competing.
The ACA president acknowledged that meaningful doping control comes with a significant price tag. He indicated that effective testing would require coordinated efforts across all Russian MMA promotions, a level of cross-organizational cooperation he views as unlikely to materialize. Despite that skepticism, the promotion has been conducting its own testing and has accumulated internal data on usage patterns among its roster.
Babulatov said he is still weighing his next steps. One option he has considered is imposing one-year suspensions on fighters who test positive. He also noted that the promotion currently permits certain approved medications to support athlete recovery.
Why it matters
- The admission raises serious questions about competitive integrity across ACA's roster and the broader Russian MMA landscape.
- Babulatov's framing of short-notice fighters as the cleanest implies PED use is systematic and planned well in advance of scheduled bouts.
- Without industry-wide cooperation on testing standards, unilateral action by ACA alone may do little to level the playing field.
- The promotion's internal data suggests it has more information on usage patterns than it has acted upon to date.
