Pakistan, Aug. 21 -- Ilja Dragunov has left WWE after his contract expired, ending a surprising chapter in his wrestling career. The 32-year-old wrestler returned to action in October 2025 after missing more than a year. He had suffered a serious ACL injury that kept him out of competition. His comeback quickly became one of the most memorable moments of his career.

Dragunov made his return on SmackDown by answering Sami Zayn's United States Championship open challenge. He defeated Zayn and immediately captured the United States Championship. The victory appeared to signal a major new chapter for the Russian-born wrestler. He then defended the title through several open challenges. However, his reign ended when Carmelo Hayes defeated him...