Magomedrasul Gasanov was removed from his scheduled fight against Abubakar Vagaev after UFC flagged a substance in his test results. Sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov explained that Gasanov submitted records of all supplements taken over the past six months and his tests came back clean, but UFC objected to one particular substance that lingers in the body for an extended period. Aliskerov drew a parallel to the meldonium cases that affected multiple Russian athletes, suggesting the substance may have been a common supplement that simply stays detectable long after use.
Magomedrasul Gasanov has been pulled from his scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Vagaev after the promotion flagged a prohibited substance detected in his test results.
According to sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, Gasanov provided documentation of every supplement he had taken over the previous six months, and subsequent testing returned clean results. However, the UFC took issue with one specific substance that remains detectable in the body for an extended period even after use has ceased. Aliskerov drew a comparison to the meldonium situation that swept through Russian athletics, framing the flagged compound as a supplement that may have been ingested without any performance-enhancing intent but whose long detection window created a compliance problem.
Why it matters
- Gasanov is out of a booked fight, leaving Vagaev without an opponent and disrupting the card's planning.
- The case raises questions about how the UFC handles substances with prolonged detection windows when an athlete can demonstrate a documented supplement history.
- The meldonium parallel Aliskerov cited is notable: that episode showed how a widely used supplement can produce positive tests long after discontinuation, complicating the distinction between intentional doping and residual trace detection.
No official confirmation from the UFC or an anti-doping body has been reported regarding the specific substance involved, and no formal sanction has been announced at this stage. The situation remains at an early point, with Gasanov's camp appearing to contest the circumstances surrounding the removal rather than the underlying test results themselves.
