Khamzat Chimaev signed Vagaev to the UFC and Khabib Nurmagomedov signed Gasanov, both going through UFC management directly and bypassing matchmakers. In apparent retaliation, matchmakers initially scheduled Gasanov and Vagaev to fight each other, then pulled Gasanov from the card citing failed USADA testing, before ultimately offering Vagaev a bout against Saygid Izagakhmaev at welterweight.
Reports suggest UFC matchmakers found themselves in a behind-the-scenes dispute with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev after both men pushed fighter signings through UFC management while bypassing the matchmaking department entirely — a move that reportedly triggered a pointed response from those responsible for booking fights.
According to the unconfirmed report, Khabib signed Gasanov to the UFC while Chimaev brought in Vagaev through similar channels, each going over the heads of the matchmakers. In what is described as apparent retaliation, those matchmakers initially slotted Gasanov and Vagaev to fight one another. Gasanov was then pulled from the card with a reported USADA testing failure cited as the reason. Vagaev was subsequently offered a welterweight bout against Saygid Izagakhmaev instead.
Khabib, 37, retired from competition with a perfect 29-0 record and has since moved into a management and mentorship role, guiding fighters affiliated with his Fightspirit Team camp. His influence in placing fighters within the UFC roster has grown considerably since stepping away from the cage.
Chimaev, 32, currently sits ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound standings. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, the six-foot-two Borz carries a 15-1 record and lands significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate, among the sharpest figures in the sport.
Izagakhmaev, the fighter now reportedly offered the Vagaev bout, holds a 22-3 record and trains under the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School in Russia. The 31-year-old averages four takedowns per 15 minutes and connects on 58 percent of his significant strikes, suggesting a grappling-oriented approach at welterweight.
Why it matters
- The reported friction highlights tension between fighter management power and traditional matchmaking authority inside the UFC
- Both Khabib and Chimaev using direct management channels to place fighters could signal a broader shift in how influential figures operate within the promotion
- Gasanov's reported USADA issue, if confirmed, would carry its own separate consequences for his roster status
- Izagakhmaev versus Vagaev, should it be formalized, would pit two prospects connected to prominent MMA figures against each other at welterweight
