ACA bantamweight Grand Prix champion Mehdi Baidulaev (10-0 in ACA) will make his return to action on July 17, moving up to featherweight to face undefeated Gadzhimurad Aliev (1-0 in ACA). The bout is set to take place at ACA 205 in Almaty.
ACA bantamweight Grand Prix champion Mehdi Baidulaev is set to return to action on July 17, stepping up a weight class to compete at featherweight when he faces undefeated prospect Gadzhimurad Aliev at ACA 205 in Almaty.
Baidulaev enters the bout carrying a perfect 10-0 record inside ACA, a run that earned him the organization's bantamweight Grand Prix title. His decision to move up to featherweight for this contest adds an element of intrigue, as he tests himself against fresh competition at a new weight.
Aliev is unbeaten through his early ACA career at 1-0, and the promotion has chosen him as the opponent to welcome Baidulaev to the featherweight division.
Why it matters
- Baidulaev's move to featherweight opens questions about his divisional future in ACA following his bantamweight Grand Prix triumph
- Aliev's unbeaten record gives the matchup stakes on both sides, with the prospect looking to make a significant statement in only his second ACA appearance
- The card takes place in Almaty, continuing ACA's pattern of staging events across Central Asia and the former Soviet region
