Eduard Vartanyan was reportedly attacked in the backstage area before his fight with Uzair at ACA 202 in St. Petersburg, struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev. The incident highlighted ongoing issues with ACA's media and backstage access policies. The promotion has historically restricted media personnel from locker rooms and backstage areas while allowing fighters not competing on the card, along with their entourages, to roam freely. A journalist noted that fighters outside the current card should be similarly restricted after this incident. The reporter mentioned that media access policies have improved recently, though not perfectly, and referenced being removed from ringside at a previous Kazakhstan event.
