ACA president admits most fighters use PEDs, calls testing expensive

ACA president Magomed Bibulatov candidly discussed doping issues in the Russian promotion during an interview. Bibulatov admitted there are more fighters using performance-enhancing drugs than clean athletes, and noted that short-notice replacement fighters tend to be clean because "they didn't have time to apply anything." He stated that drug testing is expensive and suggested Russian promotions should collaborate on anti-doping efforts, though he considers this unlikely. Bibulatov revealed ACA has been testing fighters for six months and has data on who uses prohibited substances, with those fighting on short notice being the cleanest. The league is still deciding whether to impose one-year suspensions on violators or make testing data public, and acknowledged the financial burden makes it difficult for one promotion to address the problem alone.