Teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov Busted for PED Usage and Suspended
The 2025 PFL Featherweight Champion and a prominent teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, received a one-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on December 17, 2025, after Movlid Khaybulaev, tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO).
Team Khabib Nurmagomedov
The failed test occurred during an in-competition sample collection on August 1, 2025, the night Khaybulaev, of Team Khabib, defeated Jesus Pinedo via fifth-round submission at the PFL World Tournament Finals in Atlantic City. USADA officials imposed the maximum one-year sanction, doubling the standard six-month penalty, citing the severe nature of the substance and the timing of the violation. The suspension is retroactive to the date of the fight, meaning Khaybulaev remains ineligible to compete until August 1, 2026.
Movlid Khaybulaev
The consequences for the Dagestani fighter extend beyond the time away from the cage. The Professional Fighters League announced Khaybulaev’s immediate disqualification from the 2025 season, stripping him of the featherweight championship belt he secured in August.
Additionally, he forfeits the grand prize and all performance bonuses associated with the tournament victory. While the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has yet to officially rule on the bout outcome, such violations typically result in the victory being overturned to a No Contest. Khaybulaev held an unbeaten professional record of 24-0-1 prior to this infraction and had previously won the 2021 PFL featherweight title.
The substance detected, rEPO, is a synthetic hormone used to stimulate red blood cell production, directly enhancing oxygen transport and aerobic endurance. This form of blood doping is strictly prohibited at all times under the PFL Anti-Doping Policy due to the significant physiological advantage it provides in combat sports. USADA noted that the presence of such a potent endurance-boosting agent during the championship finals warranted the harsher penalty.
This incident adds to recent scrutiny regarding anti-doping compliance within the Eagles MMA camp, following a prior suspension involving Usman Nurmagomedov in Bellator. Khaybulaev’s team has indicated they do not intend to appeal the sanctions.
The Professional Fighters League issued a formal statement on December 17, 2025, confirming the organization’s receipt of the USADA notification regarding Movlid Khaybulaev‘s failed drug test. In the release, league officials stated that the positive test for a banned substance occurred following his bout at the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals in Atlantic City.
