Eduard Vartanyan was reportedly attacked in the backstage area before his ACA 202 fight with Uzair, being struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev. The incident highlights concerns about fighter access to restricted areas at ACA events. The promotion has historically been strict about media access to locker rooms and backstage areas, yet fighters not competing on the card and their friends were present in these zones. The reporter notes that while access policies have improved recently, they remain imperfect, suggesting fighters not on the card should be restricted from backstage areas.
A disturbing backstage incident unfolded at ACA 202 when Eduard Vartanyan was reportedly struck in the back of the head by associates of Zaur Gadzhiev before Vartanyan was set to compete against Uzair at the event.
According to the report, the attack took place in the restricted backstage area of the venue, raising immediate questions about how individuals unconnected to the evening's card gained access to an area that should have been secured. The people involved were identified as friends of Gadzhiev, a fighter who was not competing at ACA 202, yet were nonetheless present in zones typically reserved for competing athletes and essential personnel.
Why it matters
- A fighter was physically targeted immediately before a scheduled bout, directly compromising his ability to compete safely.
- The incident exposes gaps in ACA's backstage access controls, allowing non-competing fighters and their entourages into restricted areas.
- The promotion has previously maintained a reputation for strict access policies, particularly regarding media and locker room entry, making this breach notable.
- The reporter suggests that fighters not on the card should be categorically barred from backstage areas to prevent similar incidents going forward.
The situation points to an inconsistency within ACA's event security framework. While the promotion has tightened media access protocols in recent times, the presence of outside parties in sensitive pre-fight areas suggests those improvements have not been uniformly applied. Allowing non-competing fighters and their associates into backstage zones creates an environment where confrontations can occur at the worst possible moment for an athlete — in the minutes before they are scheduled to perform inside the cage.
