Movlid Khaybulaev (24-0-1, 1 NC MMA, 10-0-1, 1 NC PFL) entered last spring’s PFL World Tournament with a singular goal in mind: Run through the field and take the 2025 PFL Featherweight Championship. Although Khaybulaev’s goal was accomplished, the glory was ill-fated.
Victories on April 3 by way of split decision over Jeremy Kennedy and on June 12 via unanimous decision versus Tae Kyun Kim gave way to an Aug. 1 date at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for the PFL Featherweight Championship against Jesus Pinedo.
Five rounds (or less) of action was all that stood between Movlid Khaybulaev and the championship belt. Fight night ended victoriously for the champion, but eventually, everything came crashing down.
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Movlid Khaybulaev Tests Positive on Day of PFL Atlantic City
Recently, it was revealed that Khaybulaev returned a positive drug test for recombinant erythropoietin, a performance-enhancer. This drug test was recorded the same day as PFL Atlantic City took place inside Boardwalk Hall.
As a result of the positive test, Movlid Khaybulaev has been served with a one-year suspension from fighting. This ban is retroactive to the day of the positive test. The fight itself was initially ruled as a fifth-round submission win by way of arm-triangle choke against Jesus Pinedo.
Given that PFL Atlantic City was overseen by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, as of Wednesday afternoon, there’s no word on whether the state will hand out any sort of further discipline for Khaybulaev, but now the PFL has itself weighed-in on the positive drug test.
PFL Strips Movlid Khaybulaev of 2025 Featherweight Title After Findings Become Public
Early Wednesday evening, the PFL took to its social media feeds to officially announce that Movlid Khaybulaev is now no longer the 2025 featherweight champion in the wake of his positive drug test recorded the day of PFL Atlantic City.
“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 during his bout at the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals, held on August 1 in Atlantic City,” the promotion’s 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 championship belt, and all associated bonus awards,” the statement concludes.
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Movlid Khaybulaev’s Forfeiture of the Belt Had to Be Done
In the wake of Khaybulaev being stripped of this year’s PFL Featherweight Tournament Championship, an old adage comes to mind, “Cheaters never prosper.” Although Khaybulaev won the featherweight championship in 2021 without any question or controversy, his 2025 championship run may result in an asterisk when all is said and done.
Asterisks happen all the time in athletics, ranging from team-competitive events to combat sports. There were a number of debates that raged in sports earlier this decade over whether or not the professional leagues should have had an asterisk attached to them over the fact that the season took place against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the schedule was reduced or modified due to pandemic restrictions.
Although Khaybulaev initially went a perfect 3-0 in this year’s PFL tournament, these recent developments, coupled with the promotion stripping him of the championship, have cast a black eye over the proceedings at 145 this past year. In the grand scheme of things, the PFL made the best, right, and only call here.
With a tournament format, like the one that the PFL employed in 2025, one wrong move spells the end of the line for any fighter. During the first two weeks of the quarterfinal phase of the tournament in Orlando last spring alone, we saw fighters eliminated from contention for missing weight.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line here in Movlid Khaybulaev’s case is simple: Although he returned a positive drug test in-competition and has accepted the suspension stemming from the test, it does little to change what he did, Now, he’ll be paying the price.
