Anti-doping agencies are working hard to crack down on drug cheats trying to gain an advantage over their opponents. Anybody from the pinnacle of the sport to the regional scene can be found guilty of consuming performance-enhancing drugs, and that was the case for Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s teammate, Movlid Khaybulaev, earlier this week.
Russians, especially those hailing from Dagestan and Chechnya, have begun taking over the sport of mixed martial arts. Their gritty approach and elite grappling game are yet to be figured out by opponents, but even with all their success, one truth remains.
Many Russian fighters have historically struggled to stay clean, despite their expertise inside the cage. Several high-profile fighters from the country have been hit with bans, with Movlid Khaybulaev the latest.
Khaybulaev is a 26-fight MMA veteran who is yet to taste defeat throughout his career. ‘Killer’ beat names like Brendan Loughnane, Jeremy Kennedy, and Jesus Pinedo on his journey to PFL gold.
After fighting his way to success in the PFL World Tournament, Khaybulaev has now been stripped of the title by USADA. The battle-hardened Russian tested positive for EPO, a banned substance said to increase athletes’ endurance, and was later handed a one-year ban by the anti-doping agency.
For all of their team’s success, this isn’t the first time those close to Khabib Nurmagomedov have been found guilty of taking PEDs.
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Zubaira Tukhugov, a man known for his involvement in the brawl post-UFC 229, was struck with a two-year USADA ban for Ostarine usage in 2016.
More recently, Usman Nurmagomedov was fined $50,000 and handed a six-month suspension after being found guilty of taking illegal substances. The young Nurmagomedov was forced to vacate his PFL title during his time away, though he reclaimed his throne upon his return to the SmartCage.
Another case among the Dagestanis is a man in contention for the best active fighter in the world, and closely linked with the Nurmagomedovs, Islam Makhachev. The UFC welterweight king was flagged by USADA almost a decade ago, though it was later deemed that Makhachev was without fault for the violation.
