Magomedrasul Gasanov was removed from his scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Vagaev after a substance in his system raised flags with the promotion. Gasanov's sparring partner and fellow fighter Ikram Aliskerov says Gasanov provided documentation of everything he had taken over the past six months and tested clean, but UFC flagged one substance that stays in the bloodstream for an extended period, leading to the fight's cancellation. Aliskerov drew a comparison to the meldonite cases that have affected other fighters, arguing the substance is similarly a legacy issue rather than intentional doping.
Magomedrasul Gasanov has been pulled from a scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Vagaev after the promotion flagged a substance detected in his system, the UFC confirmed ahead of the June 24 fight date.
According to Ikram Aliskerov, Gasanov's sparring partner and fellow fighter, Gasanov submitted documentation covering every substance he had taken over the previous six months and returned a clean test result. The issue, Aliskerov explained, centers on a single substance that lingers in the bloodstream for an extended period, leading the UFC to cancel the bout despite Gasanov's apparent cooperation with the investigation. Aliskerov drew a direct comparison to the meldonium cases that have ensnared other combat sports athletes in recent years, characterizing the situation as a legacy presence in the system rather than any deliberate doping violation.
Aliskerov, the 33-year-old Russian middleweight out of KHK MMA, is a credible voice in this matter given his close proximity to Gasanov's training camp. The southpaw carries an 18-2 professional record and has built a reputation as one of the division's more dangerous finishers, landing 6.86 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 64 percent, while also contributing 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Gasanov's removal leaves Vagaev without an opponent, disrupting divisional matchmaking at short notice.
- The case echoes past meldonium controversies in which fighters faced sanctions for substances no longer in active use, raising questions about testing thresholds and detection windows.
- The UFC has yet to issue a formal statement on whether the matter has been referred to USADA or an affiliated testing body, leaving Gasanov's competitive status uncertain.
