Movlid Khaybulaev’s reign as the 2025 PFL featherweight champion has come to an abrupt end.
The unbeaten standout and protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov has been handed a one-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for a banned substance. As a result, the Professional Fighters League has officially stripped Movlid Khaybulaev of his 2025 featherweight tournament title and forfeited his championship belt.
Khaybulaev captured the title at the PFL World Tournament Finals with a fifth-round submission victory over former champion Jesus Pinedo. However, the failed test was linked to that August 1 bout, prompting swift action from both USADA and the promotion. The suspension is retroactive to the date of the fight, and Khaybulaev and his team have opted not to appeal.
Shortly after the news broke, the PFL released a formal statement confirming the disqualification.
“The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has been notified by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that athlete Movlid Khaybulaev tested positive for a banned substance following his bout at the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals,” the statement read.
“Pursuant to PFL rules and regulations, Khaybulaev has been disqualified from the 2025 PFL World Tournament. As a result of the disqualification under PFL rules, Khaybulaev forfeits the distinction of 2025 PFL featherweight tournament champion.”
“The PFL maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward the use of performance-enhancing substances and remains fully committed to the highest standards of fair competition, athlete safety, and integrity in sport.”
USADA later clarified that Khaybulaev tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO), a substance banned at all times due to its performance-enhancing effects. The agency explained why the maximum one-year penalty was imposed.
“Khaybulaev, 35, tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) as the result of an in-competition sample collected at the PFL World Tournament Finals on August 1, 2025,” USADA officials stated.
“Under Section 10.2 of the PFL Anti-Doping Policy, the default period of ineligibility is six months but can be increased up to one year in certain circumstances. Here, Khaybulaev received the maximum period due to the nature of the substance and the timing of the positive test.”
The fallout sparked reactions across the MMA world, including from former opponent Brendan Loughnane, who faced Khaybulaev in the 2021 semifinals.
“I thought he felt a little strong when we fought,” Loughnane wrote.“Does that mean they can wipe his win over me too? FFS.”
Before the suspension, Movlid Khaybulaev stood as one of the PFL’s most dominant fighters. He entered the promotion in 2019 with a flying knee knockout of Damon Jackson and went on to compile an unbeaten record through 26 professional bouts, including wins over Jeremy Kennedy, Tyler Diamond, and Chris Wade. He also claimed PFL featherweight titles in 2021 and 2025, cementing his status as a cornerstone of the division.
This marks the latest doping controversy linked to Team Khabib, following Usman Nurmagomedov’s positive test during his Bellator title run in 2023.
With Khaybulaev sidelined until August 2026 and officially removed from the 2025 standings, the PFL featherweight division now finds itself wide open. Who steps up next remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the landscape at 145 pounds has changed overnight.
