Zaur Gadzhiev and/or his teammates allegedly jumped on Eduard Vartanyan before his fight, striking him on the back of the head. Despite the incident, Gadzhiev will not be expelled from the league. Magomed Bubulatov stated that he had a strict conversation with Gadzhiev regarding the matter. The confrontation represents a breach of pre-fight conduct protocols, though the promotion has opted for an internal warning rather than more severe punishment. This incident adds tension to the ACA promotion's roster dynamics.
A pre-fight altercation involving Zaur Gadzhiev and his teammates has drawn disciplinary attention from ACA leadership after Gadzhiev and those in his corner allegedly ambushed Eduard Vartanyan before his bout, striking him on the back of the head.
The incident, which took place ahead of a scheduled ACA contest, represents a clear violation of the promotion's pre-fight conduct expectations. Rather than moving to expel Gadzhiev from the roster, ACA officials chose to handle the matter internally. Magomed Bubulatov confirmed he held a stern conversation directly with Gadzhiev over the confrontation.
Why it matters
- The decision to issue a warning rather than a harsher penalty signals ACA's preference for internal discipline over public expulsion in roster conduct cases.
- Striking a fellow competitor on the back of the head before a fight raises legitimate concerns about fighter safety and locker room conduct within the promotion.
- The episode adds a layer of friction to ACA's roster dynamics and could influence how the promotion manages similar incidents going forward.
With no further punishment announced beyond the direct warning from Bubulatov, Gadzhiev remains part of the ACA stable. The episode nonetheless puts the promotion in the spotlight over how firmly it enforces pre-competition conduct standards among its fighters and their teams.
