Magomedrasul Gasanov was removed from his scheduled bout against Abubakar Wagaev after UFC flagged a substance detected in his testing. According to Gasanov's sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, Gasanov provided records of everything he had taken over the past six months and his tests came back clean, but the UFC objected to a particular substance that remains in the bloodstream for an extended period. Aliskerov compared the situation to past cases involving mildronate, arguing Gasanov's physical condition has not changed since leaving ACB, where the substance was not prohibited.
Magomedrasul Gasanov has been pulled from his scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Wagaev after the organization flagged a substance detected during testing, it was confirmed on June 24.
The removal was disclosed publicly by Gasanov's sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, who offered context around the situation. According to Aliskerov, Gasanov submitted a full record of every substance he had consumed over the preceding six months, and subsequent tests returned clean results. Despite that, the UFC raised concerns over one specific substance that can remain present in the bloodstream for an extended period. Aliskerov drew a comparison to past cases involving mildronate — a cardiac drug that became a high-profile doping controversy in combat sports — and argued that the substance in question was not prohibited during Gasanov's time competing in ACB, adding that Gasanov's physical condition has shown no change since that period.
Aliskerov, a 33-year-old Russian middleweight fighting out of KHK MMA, is one of the more decorated voices to have spoken on Gasanov's behalf. He carries an 18-2 record and is regarded as a high-volume striker, landing 6.86 significant strikes per minute at a 64 percent accuracy rate, while also averaging 3.2 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Gasanov's removal leaves Wagaev without an opponent, creating a scheduling problem for the UFC
- The case raises questions about how legacy substances from organizations with different testing standards are treated under UFC's anti-doping program
- The mildronate comparison signals Gasanov's camp intends to contest the flagging rather than accept a straightforward suspension
- The outcome could affect both fighters' placement and activity in their respective divisions
