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

Eduard Vartanyan was reportedly attacked in the backstage area before his fight with Uzair at ACA 202 in Saint Petersburg, struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev. The incident highlights ongoing issues with backstage access protocols at ACA events. While media access to locker rooms and backstage areas has historically been strictly limited at ACA shows, fighters not competing on the card and their associates have been allowed access. The author notes that while ACA has recently improved their media access policies, the situation remains imperfect, and suggests fighters outside the active card should face similar restrictions to prevent such incidents.