UFC matchmakers are said to have pushed back against the signings of Adam Vagaev and Rizvan Gasanov after Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov respectively arranged those deals directly through promotion executives, bypassing the matchmaking team. In an apparent act of retaliation, matchmakers initially booked Vagaev and Gasanov against each other, then pulled Gasanov from the bout citing a failed doping timeline. Vagaev was subsequently told his only available fight was a welterweight bout against Saygid Izagakhmaev, a matchup seen as deliberately difficult.
Reports have emerged suggesting that UFC matchmakers pushed back against two fighter signings that were arranged by Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov directly with promotion executives, cutting the matchmaking team out of the process entirely. According to the reports, the situation prompted an internal dispute that has since affected how both fighters — Adam Vagaev and Rizvan Gasanov — have been handled since joining the roster. These accounts have not been officially confirmed.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated 29-0 legend now aged 37, is said to have brokered the signing of Gasanov through his connections at the executive level. Chimaev, currently ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound at 15-1, is reported to have done the same for Vagaev. The 32-year-old Chimaev carries a striking accuracy of 60 percent and averages over five takedowns per fifteen minutes, making his endorsement of a prospect carry considerable weight within the sport.
The reported retaliation took a pointed form. Matchmakers allegedly booked Vagaev and Gasanov against one another, then removed Gasanov from the bout by citing a failed doping timeline. Vagaev was subsequently told the only available fight on offer was against Saygid Izagakhmaev, a matchup widely viewed as a steep ask. Izagakhmaev carries a 22-3 record at 31 years old and trains out of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School in Russia, averaging four takedowns per fifteen minutes and landing 58 percent of his significant strikes.
Why it matters
- The reports suggest internal power struggles over roster control between matchmakers and promotion executives could shape how new signings are deployed.
- Vagaev being steered toward Izagakhmaev, if accurate, raises questions about whether booking decisions are being made on competitive merit or internal politics.
- Both Chimaev and Khabib carry enormous influence in Dagestani and broader combat sports circles, meaning friction over their recruits has implications beyond these individual bouts.
