ACA president Magomed Bibulatov candidly discussed doping issues within the promotion in an interview with Ushatayka. Bibulatov revealed that more fighters in ACA use banned substances than compete clean, and that short-notice replacements tend to be the cleanest athletes because they haven't had time to use performance enhancers. The league implemented a testing program six months ago and allowed fighters time to clear their systems while permitting certain recovery substances. Bibulatov acknowledged that testing is expensive and suggested Russian promotions should collaborate on anti-doping efforts, though he considers this unlikely. The president is considering one-year suspensions for violators but has not finalized a policy, and questions remain about whether to publicly release test results.
