ACA President Magomed Bubulatov candidly discussed doping control in the league, stating that more fighters use PEDs than compete clean. He noted that fighters who accept bouts on short notice are typically clean because they have not had time to use substances. Bubulatov explained that ACA gave fighters six months to clear their systems and began testing, creating records of which fighters violate anti-doping rules. He mentioned that doping control is expensive and suggested Russian promotions should unite to address the issue, though he doubts this will happen. The league is still deciding how to punish violators, with Bubulatov initially considering one-year suspensions.
The president of ACA, one of Russia's premier mixed martial arts promotions, has made a striking admission about the state of doping in the sport, stating openly that the majority of fighters competing under his banner use performance-enhancing drugs.
Magomed Bubulatov spoke candidly about anti-doping efforts within ACA, acknowledging that clean athletes represent the minority in the league. He offered an informal indicator of who is likely competing substance-free: fighters who accept bouts on short notice, he said, tend to be clean simply because they have not had enough time to cycle off banned substances before stepping into competition.
Bubulatov outlined steps the promotion has already taken, explaining that ACA gave fighters a six-month window to clear their systems before initiating a testing program. That process has allowed the league to begin building records identifying which athletes have violated anti-doping rules. What remains unsettled is how those violations will be punished. Bubulatov indicated he has considered one-year suspensions as a starting point, though a formal policy has not yet been confirmed.
Why it matters
- ACA's admission raises broader questions about doping culture across Russian MMA promotions
- The lack of a confirmed punishment framework means violators currently face no defined consequences
- Bubulatov floated the idea of Russian promotions pooling resources to fund doping control, calling the cost of testing prohibitive for any single organization
- He expressed doubt that such cooperation between rival promotions would actually materialize
The cost issue sits at the center of the problem. Comprehensive anti-doping infrastructure is expensive, and Bubulatov suggested no single Russian promotion is well positioned to bear that burden alone. Without a unified testing body or shared funding mechanism, consistent enforcement across the regional MMA landscape appears unlikely in the near term.
