ACA president reveals majority of fighters use banned substances

ACA president Magomed Bubulatov candidly discussed doping issues within the promotion in a recent interview. Bubulatov stated that more fighters use performance-enhancing drugs than compete clean, and noted that fighters who accept bouts on short notice are typically clean because "they didn't have time to apply anything." He revealed that ACA has been conducting drug testing and gave fighters six months to clear their systems while allowing certain permitted substances. The organization has data on which fighters use more or fewer banned substances, but the promotion is uncertain how to handle violators going forward. Bubulatov suggested that all Russian promotions should unite on anti-doping efforts due to the high cost of testing, though he doubts other organizations would cooperate. He had initially considered one-year suspensions for violators.