Ilja Dragunov's WWE Future Revealed in New Rumors After Former U.S. Champion's Contract Expired

Following an extended absence from WWE programming, former United States champion Ilja Dragunov is reportedly leaving the company.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlePurists), Dragunov's departure comes amid the expiration of his WWE contract.

False Finish reported that WWE "would have liked Dragunov to stay with the company," but Dragunov made the decision to let his contract expire.

Born in Russia and raised in Germany, the 32-year-old Dragunov became a fixture in NXT UK after initially signing with WWE in 2019.

After a nearly yearlong reign as NXT United Kingdom champion, Dragunov made the move to NXT in 2022. He held the NXT Championship for over 200 days and had memorable rivalries with the likes of Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker.

Dragunov got called up to WWE's main roster in 2024, but it wasn't long before he suffered a torn ACL, which kept him out of action for over a year.

On the Oct. 17 episode of SmackDown, Dragunov made his return to WWE programming as a surprise challenger for the United States Championship, and he beat Sami Zayn for the U.S. title on that night.

About two months later, Dragunov dropped the title to Hayes, and he struggled to secure consistent television time after that.

Dragunov lost a U.S. title rematch against Hayes in March, and then he made his final appearance on WWE programming about a month later when he competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Many fans questioned where Dragunov had been for the past four months, and they now know that his WWE tenure has come to an end, making him a free agent who could be highly sought after on the open market.

As the second-biggest wrestling promotion in the world, AEW stands out as a potential landing spot for Dragunov.

AEW is staging its biggest pay-per-view of the year, All In, at Wembley Stadium in London on Aug. 30, and Dragunov stands out as a strong candidate to be a surprise entrant in the Casino Gauntlet match for a future AEW World Championship opportunity should he sign with the company.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling could also be a great fit for Dragunov's hard-hitting wrestling style, while TNA would potentially provide him with a chance to be a world title contender and main eventer immediately upon signing.

Regardless of where he ends up, Dragunov should have little issue landing on his feet and making a major impact in the pro wrestling world.