Paul
Hughes believes fighters are cheating the
Professional Fighters League's current drug testing
program.

Hughes recently called for increased drug testing in the merger
between PFL and Jake Paul's

Most Valuable Promotions.

Paul Hughes on PFL drug-testing: ‘Not good enough'

PFL lightweight Alexandr
Shabliy was recently suspended for six months after testing
positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) in an
out-of-competition sample. Hughes believes Shabliy should have been
banned for life instead. Hughes also wanted the same for former PFL
champ Movlid
Khaybulaev, who was banned for a year and stripped of his title
after testing positive for rEPO last year. The Irishman claims he
has only been drug tested a day before his fights, which is
inadequate.

“I have seen Shabliy calling for the next title shot,†Hughes said
on social media. “He got popped for EPO… The guy should be f*cking
banned for life. And speaking of that, PFL-MVP merger here, I'd
need to see increased drug testing. There's him getting done for
EPO and a six-month suspension. What the f*ck even is that ban?
There's Khaybulaev, former PFL featherweight champion out of team
Khabib, popped for EPO as well. Should be banned for life… All the
drug testing that I have gotten has been just a day before the
fights. That's not good enough; people are cheating that.â€

An elite
middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune in on Friday, Aug.
7 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The PFL's drug-testing partner is USADA, the former drug-testing
partner of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. As the merged promotion will
operate under the MVP banner, it remains to be seen if they will
continue with USADA.

Hughes (14-3) has made two unsuccessful title bids against Usman
Nurmagomedov in his last three outings. He claims he was unable
to train for six weeks due to back-to-back surgeries ahead of his
rematch against Nurmagomedov last October.

Addressing some things.

Nurmagomedov could be No1 in the world right now, congrats to him.
But that story is not finished.

I would like to see more drug testing in the new era of MVP/PFL.
Drug cheats should be banned for life.

Alfie
Davis, I will finish your career if you… pic.twitter.com/qA7iglqYcC

— Paul
Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma)
August 3, 2026

An eight-man tournament with a World Title shot waiting at the end begins this week for one of kickboxing's most traveled veterans.

Marat Grigorian opens his run in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament against Russian standout Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25 this Friday, August 7, inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.

The winner of the eight-man bracket earns a guaranteed shot at reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. Grigorian enters as one of the favourites off the back of a spectacular victory over Kaito Ono at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April in Tokyo.

The Hemmers Gym representative has previously challenged for ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World gold, and a run through this bracket would put him back in that conversation.

Between training camps, the three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion has built a reputation for something beyond the ring: a genuine passion for travel that helps him recover between fights. Raised by parents who worked tirelessly to build a better future for their family, Grigorian has never taken the rewards of his career for granted.

“After my fights, I take some time off just to focus on my life,†Grigorian said. “There's no better way to just shut down everything and relax at a destination. This helps me grow mentally. It keeps my mind fresh before and after fights, restores my energy levels, and keeps me sharp before I continue fight camp or training.â€

Marat Grigorian eyes a path to Superbon

Should Marat Grigorian advance through the bracket, his immediate travel plans will be put firmly on hold in favour of camp and competition. A deep Christian faith and a longstanding wish to bring his parents to Jerusalem sit near the top of his priorities once the tournament run is complete, but that ambition waits behind Friday's opening assignment.

“I actually don't have anywhere planned for my next trip,†he said. “But we'll see. Now, I'm just focused on this fight and the tournament. I don't want to think about my next holiday yet. If I win the tournament, I'll maybe take a nice holiday and celebrate it with my parents.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Islam Makhachev is looking to get a stoppage win at UFC 330 when he defends his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry.

Makhachev is set to headline the numbered event in the first defense of his welterweight title at UFC 330 on August 15. Heading into the bout, Makhachev is a massive -390 favorite while the Irishman is a +280 underdog on FanDuel. Although Makhachev is a big favorite, he's not just looking to win; instead, he said he plans to take more risks and look for the finish.

“This fight, I will take more risks to finish my opponent, because I like finishing my opponents,†Makhachev said to MMAJunkie. “This fight, I think honestly, from the first time when I take him down, I have a chance to finish him, because I saw his ground game – it's not so good, you know? He have good striking, long reach, long arm, and he control the distance, always go back, but I see when I take him down, it's gonna be a finish.â€

If Makhachev does finish Garry, it would be a statement win as the Irishman has never been finished in his career. But Makhachev is eager to be the first.

Islam Makhachev looking to learn from Jack Della Maddalena fight

Makhachev wanting the finish comes after him being disappointed in his last fight.

Islam Makhachev is coming off a dominant decision win over Jack Della Maddalena, but he is frustrated with that performance because he wasn't able to get the finish.

“Honestly, I watched the fight with Jack – I don't like this fight, you know?†Makhachev said. “Because I want to be just double champ. I was just fighting like, you know, just for the win. I don't do some things to finish Jack, because I understood I won every round – I just want to take the second belt. If this was just like a regular fight, if we fight second time, I see I can finish him like every round.â€

Makhachev is 28-1 as a pro and riding a 16-fight winning streak.

Do you think Islam Makhachev will beat Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330?

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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