ACA President Magomed Magomedov has made candid statements about performance-enhancing drug use in his promotion, admitting that more fighters test positive than negative. In an interview with Ushatayka, Magomedov revealed that fighters taking bouts on short notice are typically clean because "they didn't have time to apply anything." The league implemented drug testing after giving fighters six months to clear their systems and allowing some permitted substances. Magomedov stated that testing every fighter is financially expensive and suggested Russian promotions should unite to address the issue, though he doubts this will happen. He has considered one-year suspensions for violators but the promotion is still deciding how to handle positive tests going forward.
The president of Absolute Championship Akhmat has made a striking admission about the scale of performance-enhancing drug use inside his promotion, stating publicly that more fighters test positive than come back clean.
Speaking in an interview with Ushatayka, ACA President Magomed Magomedov offered an unusually candid look at the doping landscape within one of Russia's largest mixed martial arts organizations. He noted that fighters who accept bouts on short notice tend to return clean results, reasoning that they simply did not have enough time to use prohibited substances before the test window.
Magomedov explained that the promotion introduced its testing program only after giving athletes a six-month grace period to clear their systems, and that certain permitted substances were also factored into the rollout. The phased approach suggests ACA was aware that an immediate, zero-tolerance program would have produced a wave of suspensions from the outset.
Why it matters
- ACA is one of the most active promotions in Europe and Russia, meaning widespread doping affects a large pool of fighters and results
- Magomedov's admission raises questions about the integrity of past and current matchmaking and outcomes within the promotion
- The lack of a firm suspension policy leaves athletes, managers, and fans without a clear enforcement standard
The financial burden of comprehensive testing was also raised by Magomedov, who argued that Russian promotions should pool resources to tackle the problem collectively. He acknowledged, however, that he doubts such cooperation will materialize in practice.
On the question of consequences, Magomedov said he has considered implementing one-year suspensions for fighters who test positive, but the promotion has not yet settled on an official policy for handling violations going forward. The absence of a defined disciplinary framework, combined with the admission that positive tests are the norm rather than the exception, leaves ACA's anti-doping program in an uncertain position.
