ACA president Magomed Bibulatov candidly acknowledged that more fighters in the promotion use performance-enhancing drugs than compete clean. In an interview, he revealed that fighters accepting bouts on short notice are typically clean because they "didn't have time to use anything." The league implemented drug testing after giving fighters six months to clear their systems and allowing certain approved substances. Bibulatov stated they have data on which fighters use banned substances more or less, and initially wanted to suspend violators for one year. However, he admitted the promotion cannot solve the problem alone, as comprehensive testing is expensive and would require cooperation among all Russian promotions, which he considers unlikely. The league is still deciding how to handle violators moving forward.
