Vartanyan attacked backstage before ACA 202 bout by Gadzhiev's associates

Eduard Vartanyan was attacked in the backstage area before his fight with Uzair at ACA 202 in St. Petersburg, struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev. The incident highlights inconsistencies in ACA's media access policies, as fighters not competing on the card were allowed in backstage areas where attacks could occur, while credentialed media were often restricted. The post notes that media access has improved recently but remains imperfect. The author questions why fighters outside the card are granted more access than journalists who have covered ACA for years.