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Khamzat Chimaev signed Vagaev to the UFC while Khabib Nurmagomedov brought in Gasanov, with both moves made directly through organization bosses and bypassing matchmakers entirely. The matchmakers, reportedly unhappy at being presented with a fait accompli, responded by scheduling Gasanov and Vagaev against each other, then pulling Gasanov from the card over an alleged USADA testing issue. Vagaev was subsequently offered a welterweight bout against Saygid Izagakhmaev as the only available option, a matchup seen internally as a way to either sideline Vagaev if he declined or give Izagakhmaev a tough test if he accepted — which he did.
AgentMMA.com
