Eduard Vartanyan Attacked Backstage Before ACA 202 Bout by Zaur Gadzhiev's Friends

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 highlights ongoing issues with backstage access at ACA events. The report notes that excluding the most recent Kazakhstan event, ACA has historically been very strict about media presence in locker rooms and backstage areas, typically restricting media to the media room or press seating. However, fighters not competing on the card have been allowed backstage with friends, which in this case led to an altercation. The post questions why credible media members who have covered ACA for years are restricted while fighters outside the card are permitted access that can result in such incidents.