Magomedrasul Gasanov was removed from his scheduled bout against Abubakar Vagaev after the UFC flagged a substance found in his system. According to Gasanov's sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, Gasanov had provided documentation of all substances taken over the prior six months and his test showed no current use, but the UFC identified a long-lasting banned compound still detectable in his bloodstream and required him to retest before clearing him to compete. Aliskerov compared the situation to past cases involving mildronate, where athletes unknowingly carried residual traces of a banned substance long after use.
Magomedrasul Gasanov has been pulled from his scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Vagaev after the promotion flagged a banned substance detected in his system, according to a statement from his sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov.
Aliskerov, speaking on Gasanov's behalf, said the fighter had submitted documentation covering every substance he had taken over the prior six months and that his testing showed no current use. Despite that, the UFC determined that a long-lasting banned compound remained detectable in Gasanov's bloodstream and required him to pass a retest before being cleared to compete. Aliskerov drew a parallel to earlier cases involving mildronate, a cardiac drug that was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list in 2016 and became notable because its residual traces could linger in an athlete's system well after use had stopped.
Aliskerov himself is a 33-year-old Russian middleweight fighting out of KHK MMA. He carries an 18-2-0 professional record and is regarded as one of the division's more dangerous finishers, landing 6.86 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 64 percent. Standing six feet tall with a 76-inch reach, the southpaw also adds a consistent grappling threat, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Gasanov's removal leaves Vagaev without an opponent, creating an immediate scheduling problem for the UFC.
- The case raises questions about detection windows for long-lasting compounds and how the UFC and USADA handle residual-trace situations.
- A mandatory retest rather than an outright suspension suggests the UFC is treating this as an unresolved matter rather than a confirmed violation, but Gasanov remains sidelined until cleared.
