One of the most incredible cards in the history of Absolute Championship Akhmat awaits MMA fans on Friday, March 17.
The card, which takes place in Krasnodar, Russia, features quarterfinal bouts from the prestigious ACA grand prix tournaments, as well as championship fights and additional performances from the best fighters of the league.
The event will be headed by a championship confrontation in the most prestigious heavyweight division. Russian Alikhan Vakhaev (12-2) will defend the belt against the claims of compatriot Evgeny Goncharov (18-3), who was recognized as the best in “Breakthrough of the Year” at the prestigious ACA Awards MMA in 2022. Vakhaev will look to defend the title for the first time, which he has owned since August 2022, having taken it away from Salimgerei Rasulov by unanimous decision. He has 12 wins and 2 losses on his account. Goncharov, who previously held the title, has 18 wins and 3 losses. Simultaneously with the championship title, the fighters will contest the semifinals of the prestigious ACA grand prix.
An incredible title confrontation and at the same time a quarterfinal in the bantamweight division, a fighter with a nuclear strike, nicknamed “Russian Tyson,” the current champion Oleg Borisov (25-6-1) will hold the first defense of the belt against the “unbroken” Rustam Kerimov (17-0). Kerimov will undoubtedly try to regain the belt that he left in 2020, when he decided to build a career abroad. However, a year later he returned to the organization to make his way to the top again. It is noteworthy that the rivals have already met in 2018, when Kerimov won by split decision, winning the championship trophy before the merger of the ACB and WFCA leagues five years ago.
Another title fight, this one an interim lightweight championship belt, will be contested by Russian Mukhamed Kokov (18-7) and Brazilian Hacran Dias (27-8-1) on March 17. The champion of the organization in this division is Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov, who was injured.
After short downtime Albert “Einstein” Tumenov (22-4) began to burn down the ACA welterweight division with outstanding techniques and has already approached championship status. On March 17, he will fight for a ticket to the semifinals of the Grand Prix ACA against Kyrgyz fighter Altynbek Mamashov (17-3).
Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev (30-7) and Alexey Polpudnikov (33-9-1) will meet in the featherweight division in the quarterfinals of the grand prix. Former ACA heavyweight champion Rasulov (22-8) is in the quarterfinals of the grand prix with Kirill Kornilov (14-1-1). The debut fight in the organization will be held by ex-PFL and UFC fighter Brazilian Francimar Barroso (25-7-1), who will contest a ticket to the semifinals of the grand prix against Russian ex-ACA heavyweight champion Mukhumat Vakhaev (11-6-1). And another ticket to the semifinals in the same weight will be contested by Russian Murat Gugov (8-4) and Brazilian Leonardo Silva (20-6).
