ACA President Magomed Bibulatov gave a candid interview about drug testing in the promotion, revealing significant doping issues. He stated that more fighters use banned substances than compete clean, and that fighters who take bouts on short notice are typically clean because they haven't had time to use anything. Bibulatov explained that ACA gave fighters six months to clear their systems and began testing, but the results showed widespread use of prohibited substances. He indicated the promotion is considering year-long suspensions for violators but is still deciding on the approach. Bibulatov noted that comprehensive drug testing is expensive and would require collaboration among all Russian MMA promotions, which he considers unlikely. The interview provides rare transparency about performance-enhancing drug use in Russian MMA.
Magomed Bibulatov, president of the Russian-based ACA promotion, made a striking admission in a recent interview, stating that the majority of fighters competing under the ACA banner use banned performance-enhancing substances rather than competing clean.
Bibulatov offered an unusually candid look at the state of drug testing within the promotion, revealing that ACA gave its fighters a six-month window to clear prohibited substances from their systems before implementing testing. When results came back, they reflected what he described as widespread use across the roster. He noted one telling indicator of how embedded doping has become: fighters who accept bouts on short notice tend to test clean simply because they have not had enough time to cycle onto anything.
The ACA president said the promotion is weighing year-long suspensions for athletes caught using banned substances, though a formal policy has not yet been finalized. He also acknowledged a broader structural problem facing Russian MMA as a whole. Comprehensive, consistent drug testing would require coordination across all major Russian promotions, something Bibulatov considers an unlikely outcome given the fragmented nature of the scene. The cost of thorough testing programs further complicates any unilateral effort ACA might undertake on its own.
Why it matters
- The admission places the scale of doping in Russian MMA in unusually plain terms, going beyond typical organizational denials
- ACA's ongoing policy deliberations around suspensions could set a precedent for how Russian promotions handle anti-doping enforcement
- Without cross-promotional cooperation, any testing regime risks pushing athletes toward organizations with less scrutiny rather than cleaning up the sport regionally
The interview stands out as a rare moment of institutional transparency on a subject that MMA organizations worldwide typically handle with carefully worded statements rather than open acknowledgment of systemic failure.
