Magomedrasul Gasanov was removed from his scheduled UFC bout against Abubakar Vagaev after a substance in his system was flagged by the promotion. According to his sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, Gasanov provided documentation of all substances taken over the past six months and his tests came back clean, but UFC took issue with a particular compound that remains detectable in the body for an extended period. Aliskerov compared the situation to past cases involving mildronate, suggesting the substance was once widely used in Russian sports and can linger in the bloodstream long after use is discontinued.
Magomedrasul Gasanov has been pulled from his scheduled UFC fight against Abubakar Vagaev after the promotion flagged a substance detected in his system, it was confirmed on June 24.
The situation was disclosed publicly by Gasanov's sparring partner Ikram Aliskerov, who said Gasanov submitted documentation covering all substances he had taken over the past six months and that his tests returned clean results. According to Aliskerov, the UFC's concern centres on a specific compound that can remain detectable in the body for a prolonged period even after a person has stopped using it. Aliskerov drew a comparison to past cases involving mildronate, a drug that became notorious in international sport after it was found to linger in athletes' systems well beyond its active use, suggesting the substance in question has a similar history in Russian sports culture.
Aliskerov, who spoke on his teammate's behalf, carries considerable credibility in the sport. The 33-year-old Russian middleweight fights out of KHK MMA, holds an 18-2 record, and is one of the more active and accurate strikers in his division, landing 6.86 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 64 percent. He also averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded voice within the team.
Why it matters
- Gasanov's removal leaves Vagaev without an opponent, creating a scheduling gap on the card.
- The case echoes the mildronate controversy that swept through Eastern European sport, raising questions about substances with long detection windows.
- The UFC has not issued a formal statement on the specific compound involved, leaving the full details of Gasanov's situation unresolved.
