ACA president Magomed Bibulatov made several official announcements at a press conference in Saint Petersburg. Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov has vacated the lightweight championship, with interim champion Daud Shaikhayev being elevated to undisputed champion. ACA 204 in Omsk in July will feature Shlemenko vs. Emeev as the main event, Shurkevich vs. Dudayev as co-main, plus Khabibullin vs. Grozin and Matmuratov vs. Sulumov. ACA 206 in Moscow in August will see A. Vakhaev vs. Aliakbari in the main event and Shaikhayev vs. B. Tumenov as the co-main event, both for titles.
ACA president Magomed Bibulatov used a press conference in Saint Petersburg to unveil a string of significant organizational moves, including championship restructuring and two stacked cards scheduled for the summer.
On the title front, Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov has vacated the ACA lightweight championship, and interim titleholder Daud Shaikhayev has been elevated to undisputed champion as a result. Shaikhayev will then put that newly unified belt on the line at ACA 206 in Moscow in August, facing B. Tumenov in the co-main event. The main event of that same card will see A. Vakhaev square off against Amir Aliakbari, also for a title.
Aliakbari, a 42-year-old Iranian heavyweight competing out of AKA Thailand, carries a polished 10-1-0 professional record and stands six-foot-three, measuring 191 cm. His size and experience make him a formidable presence in any main event slot.
Before Moscow, ACA 204 heads to Omsk in July with Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko topping the bill against Emeev. Shlemenko, also 42, is one of Russian combat sports' most decorated veterans, holding a remarkable 56-9-0 record across his career. The Russian middleweight lands significant strikes at a rate of 4.36 per minute with an imposing 60 percent striking accuracy, numbers that reflect the pressure-heavy style that earned him his nickname. The card is further bolstered by Shurkevich versus Dudayev in the co-main event, along with Khabibullin versus Grozin and Matmuratov versus Sulumov.
Why it matters
- Shaikhayev's elevation consolidates the ACA lightweight title picture following Abdulvakhabov's vacancy
- Shlemenko versus Emeev gives ACA 204 a marquee name with genuine box-office draw in Russia
- Two title bouts at ACA 206 in Moscow position the August card as one of the promotion's biggest events of the year
