A few hours before the start of the most important 295th number tournament of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in New York, where Russian heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich will fight for the league's temporary belt, unpleasant news came from another American promotion – Bellator.
Journalist Ariel Helwani found out from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster that the organization's lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov has been disqualified for six months for violating anti-doping rules. The undefeated Russian (17-0) allegedly tested positive after his October bout against American Brent Primus in the Bellator Grand Prix semifinals. The meeting ended with the victory of Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin and the second successful defense of the title.
After the victor fails the doping test, the fight will be declared invalid.
Here is what the foreign media currently know:
- The aforementioned Foster says the champion had a prescription for a drug containing a banned substance, but the athlete did not apply for a therapeutic exception to be able to use it without consequences;
- Journalist Cole Shelton claims that now the 25-year-old Russian will be stripped of his belt and fined 50 thousand dollars;
- The MMA Junkie portal informs that Nurmagomedov agreed to participate in the voluntary testing program of the Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) for 12 months at his own expense. The Russian will have to undergo at least three full doping tests under the auspices of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In the event of a positive doping test in California or any other jurisdiction recognized by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), the athlete faces a four-year ban.
Bellator itself has not yet made any statements regarding the situation with Khabib's brother.
It’s hard to believe that the promotion will strip the Russian of the title, given the status of the native of Dagestan and his undisputed dominance in the division. However, we will have to forget about the Grand Prix: the league has no reason to put the tournament on such a long pause. Primus, by the way, has already expressed his readiness to rush into the Grand Prix final and share the cage with the winner of the fight between Brazilian Patricky Freire and Russian Alexander Chablius (to be held on the night of November 18 Moscow time):
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"Today I was informed that my opponent Usman Nurmagomedov passed a positive test for a prohibited drug and our fight was declared invalid. I want to thank Bellator and the California State Athletic Commission for promoting clean sports. I continue to train seriously and will be ready to return to competing in the Grand Prix.”
What a pity that the superfight of the Russians Nurmagomedov VS Shabliy will not grace the poster of an interesting competition, and an American will fight for a million dollars, having had an absolutely non-competitive fight against unbeaten champion.
UPD. Nurmagomedov remains with the belt…and even retains his chances of continuing to participate in the Grand Prix! Bellator executive director Mike Kogan wrote about this on his social networks:
And here is the champion’s first (extremely detailed) comment after the scandal erupted:
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