Eduard Vartanyan allegedly attacked backstage before ACA 202 bout

Eduard Vartanyan was reportedly attacked in the backstage area before his fight with Uzair at ACA 202 in St. Petersburg, being struck in the back of the head by friends of Zaur Gadzhiev. The incident raised questions about ACA's access control policies, as fighters not competing on the card were allowed backstage while media personnel face strict restrictions. The author noted that while ACA historically maintained tight control over media access to locker rooms and backstage areas, fighters and their entourages had more freedom. Recent events have shown some improvement in media access policies, though not yet ideal. The situation highlighted ongoing security and access management challenges at ACA events.