UFC matchmakers were bypassed when Khamzat Chimaev signed Vagaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov signed Gasanov directly through promotion bosses, sources indicate. In apparent retaliation, matchmakers initially paired the two fighters against each other, then pulled Gasanov from the bout citing failed USADA clearance. Vagaev was subsequently informed there was no opponent for him at his original weight class and was offered a fight at 170 lbs against Saygid Izagakhmaev — a matchup designed to present him with a difficult outing regardless of his decision.
Reports suggest UFC matchmakers may have responded to being bypassed in two high-profile signings by engineering unfavorable situations for the fighters involved — though none of this has been officially confirmed by the promotion.
According to sources, Khamzat Chimaev signed Mukhamed Vagaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov signed Abubakar Gasanov directly through UFC leadership, circumventing the matchmaking department entirely. In what sources describe as apparent retaliation, matchmakers initially booked Vagaev and Gasanov against one another. Gasanov was then pulled from the bout, with failed USADA clearance cited as the reason. Vagaev was subsequently told no opponent existed for him at his original weight class and was presented with a fight at 170 pounds against Saygid Izagakhmaev — a booking sources characterize as deliberately difficult.
Chimaev, the No. 1-ranked middleweight and No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC rankings, carries a 15-1 record and is known for elite grappling and high-volume striking. The 32-year-old UAE-based Swede averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate, giving him considerable weight as an outside advocate for fighters he backs.
Izagakhmaev, the reported opponent for Vagaev, holds a 22-3 record and trains out of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School in Russia. The 31-year-old is a disciplined grappler, averaging four takedowns per 15 minutes, and carries a 74-inch reach at six feet tall. His willingness to control fights through wrestling makes him a challenging stylistic problem for any welterweight opponent.
Why it matters
- The reported dynamic raises questions about fighter agency when signings bypass standard matchmaking channels
- Vagaev is effectively being asked to move up or across weight classes without a conventional pathway
- Izagakhmaev presents a legitimately tough grappling-based test, lending credibility to sources framing the booking as punitive
- The involvement of two figures as prominent as Chimaev and Khabib adds significant political weight to what would otherwise be a routine matchmaking dispute
