Latest News

Ilja Dragunov spotted for first time since leaving WWE

Ilja Dragunov is making good use of his time after his WWE exit.

24 hours ago

WWE

Ilja Dragunov’s WWE run is officially over, ending a journey that saw him become one of the most respected wrestlers the company had on its roster.

After letting his WWE contract expire last week, Dragunov is now a free agent for the first time in several years.

During his time with WWE, “The Mad Dragon” built a reputation for stealing the show everywhere he went. He became one of the biggest stars of NXT UK, putting together a string of incredible matches before finally dethroning GUNTHER to win the NXT UK Championship. When NXT UK came to an end, Dragunov carried that momentum into NXT, eventually capturing the NXT Championship before dropping the title to Trick Williams.

His move to the main roster looked like it could be the start of something even bigger.

Instead, an unfortunate injury completely changed the course of his run. Dragunov still impressed whenever he stepped into the ring after returning, but he never quite reached the level many fans expected. He never got the long-awaited singles match with GUNTHER on the main roster, despite multiple teases.

After several years with WWE, Dragunov left WWE last week. Now, fans have gotten their first look at him since his departure.

Former WWE Superstar Jin Tala, who has been dating Dragunov for more than a year, took to Twitter and shared a video of the two enjoying a vacation together following his WWE exit.

The clip starts with a joke between the couple.

Him: “It’s going to be a nice relaxing vacation. Was there something you wanted to do there?”

Her: “Some? Uhh…”

The video then cuts to the pair traveling through multiple cities and countries, visiting landmarks, exploring new places and trying different activities together. Judging by the montage, “relaxing” wasn’t exactly how the trip turned out.

It also marked the first time Dragunov has been seen publicly since becoming a free agent.

Dragunov and Jin Tala made their relationship public after Dragunov returned from injury and defeated Sami Zayn to win the United States Championship last year. They quickly became one of WWE’s real-life power couples before Tala was released by the company in October 2025.

Less than a year later, Dragunov is out of WWE as well.

For now, it looks like he’s taking some time away from wrestling before deciding what’s next. But with his reputation as one of the best in-ring performers in the world, it probably won’t be long before fans find out where “The Mad Dragon” lands next.