Khaybulaev Lost His PFL Tournament Crown
The Professional Fighters League disqualified Movlid Khaybulaev from its 2025 World Tournament on December 17, 2025. The announcement followed a positive test from a sample collected at the August 1 finals in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The sanction involved the August championship event
USADA said Khaybulaev tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin, known as rEPO, in an in-competition sample. The substance is prohibited at all times under the PFL Anti-Doping Policy and prohibited list.
Khaybulaev accepted a one-year period of ineligibility beginning August 1, the date of collection. The announcement therefore applied the sanction from the competition date rather than from the December publication.
The league removed the tournament rewards
Under its rules, PFL disqualified Khaybulaev from the tournament. He forfeited the distinction of 2025 featherweight tournament champion, the championship belt and all associated bonus awards.
Those consequences changed how his tournament achievement could be described. The championship recognition initially attached to the finals was removed by the promotion’s subsequent disciplinary action.
USADA explained why the maximum period applied
The applicable policy provided a default six-month suspension that could increase to one year in certain circumstances. USADA said the nature of the substance and timing of the positive test justified the maximum period.
The two December announcements addressed related responsibilities: USADA administered the anti-doping sanction, while PFL applied the competitive consequences under its tournament rules. Together they established the confirmed disciplinary outcome without requiring assumptions about any additional action by an athletic commission.
Sources
- PFL: tournament disqualification and forfeited rewards
- USADA: rEPO finding, maximum sanction and August 1 start date
