ACA president Magomed Bibulatov announced several developments at a press conference in Saint Petersburg. Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov has vacated the lightweight championship, and interim champion Daoud Shaikhaev will be elevated to undisputed champion. For ACA 204 in Omsk in July, the main event will be Shlemenko vs Emeev, with Shurkevich vs Dudaev as co-main, plus Khabibullin vs Grozin and Matmuratov vs Sulumov. For ACA 206 in Moscow in August, the main event will be a title fight between A. Vakhaev and Aliakbari, with Shaikhaev defending against B. Tumenov in the co-main event.
ACA president Magomed Bibulatov used a press conference in Saint Petersburg to unveil a series of organizational moves and fight bookings, headlined by a lightweight title change and two upcoming events scheduled for mid-2026.
Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov has vacated the ACA lightweight championship, and interim titleholder Daoud Shaikhaev will be elevated to undisputed champion as a result. Shaikhaev will not have long to settle into that role, as he is already booked to make his first defense against B. Tumenov in the co-main event of ACA 206, set for Moscow in August.
The main event of ACA 206 will be a heavyweight title fight between A. Vakhaev and Amir Aliakbari. The 42-year-old Iranian, who trains out of AKA Thailand, carries a record of 10-1-0 into the contest. Standing six-foot-three and 191 centimeters tall, Aliakbari is a physical presence who has long been considered one of the more imposing heavyweights operating outside of the major American promotions.
Before Moscow, ACA 204 comes to Omsk in July. The card is headlined by Alexander Shlemenko against Emeev. Shlemenko, nicknamed Storm, is a 42-year-old Russian veteran who has compiled a remarkable 56-9-0 record across his career. Fighting out of his own Storm Shlemenko Fight Team, the 180-centimeter middleweight lands an average of 4.36 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy, numbers that reflect a volume striker who remains dangerous deep into a fight. Shurkevich versus Dudaev serves as co-main event in Omsk, with Khabibullin against Grozin and Matmuratov against Sulumov also confirmed for the card.
Why it matters
- Shaikhaev's elevation resolves the ACA lightweight title picture and immediately puts him into a high-stakes defense against Tumenov
- Aliakbari versus Vakhaev adds a prominent international name to ACA's heavyweight division heading into the summer
- Shlemenko headlining in Omsk gives the July card a recognizable draw, with one of European MMA's most decorated fighters still active at 42
