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

Professional Fighters League star Archie Colgan suffered a horrific knockout loss to Usman Nurmagomedov last weekend.

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov continued his unbeaten reign as he knocked out the previously undefeated Archie Colgan at PFL New York last Saturday. Usman, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, will now test free agency and potentially receive an offer from Dana White and the UFC matchmakers.

Nurmagomedov caught Colgan with a nasty head kick, followed by brutal ground-and-pound, to hand Colgan his first career defeat. Luckily, Colgan was able to leave the cage under his own power with UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at his side.

After a scary sight to wrap up an eventful night at PFL New York, Colgan shared an encouraging update on his health following the loss to Nurmagomedov.

Archie Colgan reveals ‘no concussion' after scary KO loss to Usman Nurmagomedov

In a recent Instagram post, Colgan broke his social media silence after PFL New York.

“Damn… In a match of perfection I made a mistake and paid the maximum price in front of the world. Man it's frustrating.. but that's the game I play. Haven't felt this in a while but I am no stranger to it. Congratulations Usman and his team all world-class men and fighters,†Colgan said.

“Dr. said NO concussion but I will rest up. Thank you to my team for all we've built leading to this. Thank you to my fans and supporters for your love. The journey continues.â€

Colgan won his first 13 professional fights before his loss to Nurmagomedov last weekend. The former NCAA Division I wrestling standout earned wins over the likes of Mansour Barnaoui, Jay-Jay Wilson, and Manoel Sousa in his PFL/Bellator tenure.

Will the UFC sign Usman Nurmagomedov? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

---

Uros Medic was put in a position to become a breakout fighter in the UFC, and he delivered in a big way with a blistering, 30-second knockout of Daniel Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Belgrade. The Serbian competitor sent his hometown crowd happy before turning his attention to former champion Leon Edwards as a potential next opponent. Is that the matchup to make for Medic?