Eduard Vartanyan reportedly attacked backstage before ACA 202 bout by Gadzhiev associates

Eduard Vartanyan was allegedly attacked in the backstage area and struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev before his fight at ACA 202 in St. Petersburg. The post also critiques ACA's media access policies, noting that while media members are heavily restricted from locker rooms and backstage areas, fighters not competing on the card can move freely with their entourages, which enabled this incident. The author, who has covered ACA for many years, acknowledges recent improvements in media access but suggests fighters not on the card should face similar restrictions. The incident highlights ongoing security and access issues at ACA events.