ACA President Magomed Bubulatov provided candid statements about doping control in the league during an interview. He admitted that there are more fighters using banned substances than clean fighters in the promotion. Bubulatov noted that fighters who take bouts on short notice are typically clean because they did not have time to use performance enhancers. The league attempted to implement doping controls, giving fighters six months to clear their systems and allowing some permitted recovery substances. However, he acknowledged that enforcing anti-doping measures is expensive and would require collaboration among all Russian promotions, which he believes is unlikely. Bubulatov indicated the promotion is still deciding how to handle fighters who test positive, with a one-year suspension being the primary option considered.
The president of ACA (Absolute Championship Akhmat) has made a striking public admission about the scale of performance-enhancing drug use inside the promotion, stating openly that fighters using banned substances outnumber clean competitors within the organization.
Magomed Bubulatov offered the candid remarks during a recent interview, acknowledging that doping is widespread enough that he considers clean fighters to be the exception rather than the rule. He noted one practical tell for identifying those fighters: competitors who accept bouts on short notice are more likely to be clean, simply because they lacked the time to cycle on and off prohibited substances before the contest.
Bubulatov said the promotion did attempt to introduce doping controls, granting fighters a six-month window to clear their systems and permitting certain recovery substances during that transition period. The effort, however, has run into the fundamental obstacle of cost. Meaningful anti-doping enforcement is expensive, and Bubulatov suggested the only realistic path forward would require coordinated action across all major Russian MMA promotions — a development he views as unlikely.
Why it matters
- ACA is one of the largest MMA promotions operating outside the UFC and Bellator umbrella, making its internal doping culture a significant issue for the sport's credibility in the region.
- Bubulatov's admission raises questions about the legitimacy of results inside the promotion and the competitive fairness facing fighters who do compete clean.
- The promotion has not yet settled on a formal anti-doping policy, with a one-year suspension currently the leading option under consideration for fighters who test positive.
- Without cross-promotional cooperation, any unilateral testing regime risks pushing fighters toward rival organizations rather than deterring drug use.
The remarks represent an unusually frank acknowledgment from a promotion executive and put pressure on Russian MMA's governing bodies to address a problem Bubulatov himself admits cannot be solved by one organization acting alone.
