ACA president Magomed Bibulatov candidly discussed doping control within the league in an interview. He stated that more fighters test positive for banned substances than clean fighters. Bibulatov noted that fighters who accept bouts on short notice are usually clean because they did not have time to use performance-enhancing drugs. He acknowledged that doping control is expensive and suggested Russian promotions should unite to address the issue, though he considers this unlikely. The league has given fighters time to clear their systems and has maintained records on which fighters violate anti-doping rules. Bibulatov is considering a one-year suspension for violators but has not finalized a decision.
The president of ACA, Magomed Bibulatov, has publicly acknowledged that the majority of fighters competing in the promotion test positive for banned performance-enhancing substances, making the admission in a candid interview reported on April 17, 2026.
Bibulatov offered a striking observation about short-notice fighters, noting that athletes who accept bouts on limited preparation time tend to return clean results — precisely because they did not have the opportunity to begin a doping cycle before the contest. The implication is that a significant portion of the roster uses banned substances during normal training camps when time permits.
The ACA president confirmed that the promotion has been tracking anti-doping violations internally, maintaining records on fighters who have breached the rules. He is now weighing a one-year suspension as a potential punishment for violators, though no formal policy has been finalized.
Why it matters
- Bibulatov's admission is unusually direct, with few promotion heads publicly stating that positive tests outnumber clean ones within their own organization.
- The financial barrier to comprehensive doping control was raised as a structural problem, with Bibulatov suggesting Russian promotions would need to pool resources to tackle it effectively — an outcome he considers unlikely.
- The ACA has previously given fighters time to clear their systems, raising questions about how rigorously testing has been enforced to date.
- Any move toward a standardized one-year ban would represent a meaningful policy shift for one of Russia's largest MMA promotions.
Bibulatov's remarks put ACA's anti-doping framework under scrutiny at a time when the broader combat sports world continues to grapple with the cost and consistency of clean-sport enforcement.
