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Per reports from outlets like PWInsider, which were later corroborated by Fightful Select, Ilja Dragunov has officially left WWE upon the expiration of his contract. This is an extremely shocking exit, not because WWE has been prominently using Dragunov, but because they didn’t, and now he’s free to go wherever he likes. Before this exit, apparently WWE was planning to bring him back post-SummerSlam 2026, but unfortunately, it was a little too late. Dragunov returned to WWE last year, defeating Sami Zayn for the United States Championship, which skyrocketed his popularity amongst the WWE Universe. Sadly, he lost steam after that, dropping the title to Carmelo Hayes in the latter part of 2025. When everyone thought he’d be a key player for years to come, as well as have another epic series with WALTER, now Gunther, harkening back to their NXT UK Days, Dragunov is now officially a free agent. Now that Dragunov has left WWE, and with potentially no 90-day clause in his contract, we briefly analyze the best destinations for the “Mad Dragon.” AEW Whenever a big WWE star departs, All Elite Wrestling is always a prime destination. That said, Dragunov won’t be a case of just going after a big star. If AEW pursues him, he will be a glove fit with the #AllElite promotion. AEW is absolutely revered for its ring action-first approach, mixing in all styles from across the professional wrestling landscape. Dragunov can brawl, he can fly, and he can mat wrestle anyone to a great match. Imagine showdowns with the likes of Jon Moxley, Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Samoa Joe, Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Darby Allin, and the list goes on and on and on. Heck, who wouldn’t want to see the “Mad Dragon” go up against the semi-retired “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson or a top-of-his-game Zack Sabre Jr. in a showdown exhibition down the line? With AEW All In: London 2026 just around the corner, Dragunov being #AllElite in London can make all the sense in the world. Read More: How to Watch AEW In Every Country It’s Available: TNA Wrestling After a mass exodus of big-time stars leaving TNA Wrestling, Ilja Dragunov’s presence could be a massive boost of star power. Stars like Leon Slater, one of the absolute most exciting young prospects in all of wrestling, would be an amazing opponent for Dragunov, clashing styles in an epic battle. You’ve got Nic Nemeth, Moose, Rich Swann, and the surging The Righteous faction that could bring out the absolute best in Dragunov. If you want a dream match for the ages, Jeff Hardy could step in and put over Dragunov as a high-impact (no pun intended) player for TNA Wrestling. TNA is the land of opportunity where stars go to rekindle the fire that they once had, and if Ilja wants the spark back, TNA Wrestling would welcome him with open arms. NJPW Of all the options, New Japan Pro Wrestling for us is probably the most intriguing one. When I said Dragunov would fit in with AEW like a glove, Ilja in NJPW would be a match made in heaven. As evidenced by his brutal encounters with the former WALTER, Dragunov would kill it in NJPW, where a much more slug-heavy and test-of-endurance style is encouraged due to the promotion’s famous “Strong Style” mantra. Dragunov would have no shortage of dance partners with studs like Callum Newman, Sanada, Gabe Kidd, Shingo Takagi, Hirooki Goto and a lot more. Can you imagine a war with no restraints between Dragunov and Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship? What about two of the baddest dogs in the form of Dragunov and Tomohiro Ishii getting into it, mano a mano? It’s a shame that the G1 Climax recently ended because Dragunov in the tournament would feed generations. Wherever Ilja Dragunov goes from here on out, he’ll have no shortage of companies vying for his attention.