Zaur Gadzhiev and his teammates confronted Eduard Vartanyan prior to Vartanyan's fight, striking him on the back of the head. Despite the incident, Gadzhiev will not be removed from the promotion. Magomed Bibulatov has stated that he had a stern conversation with Gadzhiev about the altercation. The incident occurred backstage before Vartanyan's scheduled bout and represents a disciplinary issue within the organization.
A backstage confrontation rattled ACA ahead of a scheduled event earlier this month when Zaur Gadzhiev and several teammates approached Eduard Vartanyan before his fight and struck him on the back of the head.
The altercation took place behind the scenes prior to Vartanyan's scheduled bout, raising immediate concerns about discipline and conduct within the organization. Despite the seriousness of the incident, ACA has decided not to remove Gadzhiev from the promotion.
Magomed Bibulatov, known by his nickname "Chaborz," addressed the situation directly, stating that he held a stern conversation with Gadzhiev regarding the confrontation. Bibulatov, a 37-year-old orthodox fighter standing five-foot-five with a 65-inch reach, carries a professional record of 14-2-0 and is one of the more established names on the ACA roster. He lands 3.6 significant strikes per minute at a 51 percent striking accuracy and averages 2.85 takedowns per 15 minutes, reflecting a well-rounded grappling-oriented style.
Why it matters
- A physical backstage confrontation before a scheduled fight raises serious safety and conduct concerns within ACA
- The decision to keep Gadzhiev in the promotion signals the organization's approach to internal discipline rather than outright removal
- Bibulatov's direct involvement suggests the matter was handled at a senior fighter or leadership level within the camp
