Fan-favorite pro wrestler Ilja Dragunov has officially departed WWE after a seven-year tenure following the expiration of his contract in August 2026. While company leadership reportedly wanted him to stay, the former United States and NXT champion chose to let his deal expire, leaving him as one of the industry’s most sought-after free agents.
Professional wrestling’s open market just added one of its most lethal in-ring competitors. Ilja Dragunov, a 32-year-old athlete widely regarded as one of the best bell-to-bell performers in the industry, has officially left WWE after a seven-year run that spanned multiple brands and championships.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider was first to report that Dragunov’s deal with WWE had expired, and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select subsequently confirmed the news. The departure became official when the organization moved Dragunov to the alumni section of its official website. What started as industry reporting regarding an expired deal quickly revealed a more complex narrative behind the scenes.
Backstage Realities: Why Dragunov Walked Away
While standard roster changes often reflect a company’s desire to trim talent, this exit tells a different story. According to reporting from False Finish, WWE reportedly wanted the former United States and NXT Champion to stay, but Dragunov actively chose to let his contract expire and test the open market.
That distinction changes the entire landscape of his departure. For an athlete who wrestled with intense physical legitimacy and possessed the character range of classic sports-entertainment performers, leaving a powerhouse promotion by choice signals high confidence in his value outside the company walls.
A Decorated Yet Stunted Main Roster Tenure
Dragunov originally signed with WWE in February 2019, coming in from Progress Wrestling and various European promotions. He immediately established himself as a fearsome competitor, capturing the NXT UK Championship before crossing the ocean to conquer the main NXT brand.
In September 2023, he defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the NXT Championship, making history as the first person in the company to hold both the NXT and NXT UK titles. He dropped that belt to Trick Williams in April 2024 before getting promoted to the Raw brand after WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, where he debuted by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura and was thrust right into the 2024 King of the Ring tournament.
Yet, main-roster momentum proved difficult to sustain. A torn ACL suffered during a live-event match against Gunther, sidelined him for over a year. He made a triumphant return in October 2025, defeating Sami Zayn to capture the United States Championship in his first main-roster title reign and carrying on the tradition of the U.S. Open Challenge, with matches against stars like Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Carmelo Hayes becoming must-see television.
After dropping the title back to Carmelo Hayes, his television appearances became remarkably scarce. He participated in the Royal Rumble where he was soundly eliminated by Brock Lesnar, and made his final company appearance during the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the episode of SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 42. He spent the next four months completely off television before his contract ran out on August 20, 2026.
What Lies Ahead on the Open Market
With his departure now official, speculation naturally turns to where the Russian-born wrestler will sign next. Industry analysts point to AEW as a natural destination where his hard-hitting style and technical skills could produce phenomenal matches against a stacked roster, though some observers question whether his style will stand out quite as sharply among other elite, hard-hitting wrestlers.
Dragunov joins a formidable class of high-profile free agents on the open market, having spent seven years with WWE as a one-time U.S., NXT, and NXT UK Champion, as well as being named the NXT Male Superstar of the Year back in 2023. Given his immense talent and proven track record, telephone lines across the professional wrestling landscape are sure to be busy.
