Absolute Championship Akhmat
Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe.[1] To date, most events have been hosted in Grozny, Russia. ACA also hosted events in other Russian cities, as well as in Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Mairbek Khasiev |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Mairbek Khasiev Ramzan Kadyrov Alexey Yatsenko Yaragi Gitaev Zaurbek Khasiev |
| Website | www.aca-mma.com/en |
History
The Beginning
ACB was founded by Mairbek Khasiev, he is one of the most respected citizens of Chechen Republic. Khasiev a sport activist and a decorated doctor with a lot of notable awards. Thanks to his efforts in 2009 the Berkut Fight Club was founded in Grozny help a lot young fighters get the opportunity to compete in the very highest level.
Several fighters who have been successful in ACB have signed on to more well known promotions such as the UFC. ACB has its own fight team, the Fight Club Berkut, which consists of some of the promotion's elite fighters, such as Beslan Isaev, Magomed Bibulatov, Musa Khamanaev and Aslambek Saidov. ACB co-operates with many other promotions in Europe by exchanging fighters, for example KSW and The Cage. ACB runs the majority of its shows live on a variety of TV networks (Match TV, Polsat Sport) throughout Europe. The promotion runs its shows live internationally on its Facebook Page.
International Expansion
The 2017 campaign featured 27 events spanning across thirteen countries, including United States, Austria, Poland, England, Tajikistan, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia and Russia.
TECH-Krep FC purchase
On September 12, 2018, Mairbek Khasiev revealed that Absolute Championship Berkut had purchased TECH-Krep FC.[2] Khasiev went on to explain that TECH-Krep FC will cease operation and they canceled the October 26 event, and that former Tech-Krep FC head Alexey Yatsenko will become the president of the organization.
WFCA acquisition and integration
On November 28, 2018, the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov announced that the Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) and the World Fighting Championship Akhmat (WFCA) would merge to form a single promotion.[3]
List of events
Mixed martial arts
Kickboxing
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Current champions
Mixed martial arts
| Division | Champion | Since | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight |  |
February 21, 2020 | 0 |
| Light Heavyweight |  |
February 16, 2019 | 1 |
| Middleweight | |
April 27, 2019 | 1 |
| Welterweight | |
April 27, 2019 | 1 |
| Lightweight | |
September 27, 2019 | 0 |
| Featherweight |  |
October 4, 2019 | 0 |
| Bantamweight | |
March 6, 2020 | 0 |
| Flyweight | |
February 21, 2020 | 0 |
Kickboxing
| Division | Champion | Since | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight |  |
April 20, 2018 | 0 |
| Middleweight | |
April 20, 2018 | 0 |
| Welterweight |  |
April 20, 2018 | 0 |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
| Division | Champion | Since | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | |
May 5, 2018 | 0 |
| Light Heavyweight | |
April 14, 2018 | 0 |
| Middleweight | |
May 5, 2018 | 0 |
| Welterweight | |
June 30, 2018 | 0 |
| Lightweight | |
September 8, 2018 | 1 |
| Featherweight | |
April 14, 2018 | 1 |
Championship history
Mixed martial arts
Heavyweight Championship
- 120 kg (265 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |
ACA 104 |
February 21, 2020 | |
| 1 | def. Tony Johnson for the inaugural ACA Heavyweight championship. |
ACA 97 |
August 31, 2019 | |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 4 | |
ACB 67 |
August 19, 2017 |
1. def. Sergey Bilostenniy at ACB 90 on Nov. 10, 2018 in Moscow, Russia |
| 3 | |
ACB 50 |
December 18, 2016 | |
| 2 | |
ACB 29 |
February 6, 2016 | |
| 1 | def. Israfil Makhashev |
ACB 9 |
June 22, 2014 | |
Light Heavyweight Championship
- 93 kg (205 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Karol Celinski for the inaugural ACA Light Heavyweight championship. |
ACA 92 |
February 16, 2019 |
1. def. Alexey Butorin at ACA 103 on December 14, 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 4 | |
ACB 86 |
May 5, 2018 | |
| 3 | |
ACB 65 |
July 22, 2017 | |
| 2 | def. Jared Ferguson |
ACB 51 |
January 13, 2017 | |
| Gadzhimurad Antigulov vacated the title when he signed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | ||||
| 1 | def. Ruslan Khaskhanov |
ACB 9 |
June 22, 2014 |
1. def. Muslim Makhmudov at ACB 35 on May 6, 2016 in Tbilisi, Georgia |
Middleweight Championship
- 84 kg (185 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Brett Cooper for the inaugural ACA Middleweight championship. |
ACA 95 |
April 27, 2019 |
1. def. Valery Myasnikov at ACA 102 on November 29, 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 2 | def. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky |
ACB 77 |
December 23, 2017 |
1. def. Piotr Strus at ACB 89 on Sept. 8, 2018 in Krasnodar, Russia |
| Anatoly Tokov vacated the title when he signed for M-1 Global. | ||||
| 1 | def. Arbi Aguev |
ACB 38 |
May 20, 2016 | |
Welterweight Championship
- 77 kg (170 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Murad Abdulaev for the inaugural ACA Welterweight championship. |
ACA 95 |
April 27, 2019 |
1. def. Beslan Ushukov at ACA 102 on November 29, 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 4 | def. Ciro Rodrigues |
ACB 89 |
September 8, 2018 | |
| Mukhamed Berkhamov was stripped of the title after his refusal to accept 3 title defense match ups | ||||
| 3 | |
ACB 67 |
August 19, 2017 | |
| 2 | def. Aslambek Saidov |
ACB 50 |
December 18, 2016 | |
| Albert Duraev was stripped of the title due to him missing weight and his eventual move up to Middleweight. | ||||
| 1 | def. Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov |
ACB 22 |
September 12, 2015 |
1. def. Michail Tsarev at ACB 35 on May 6, 2016 in Tbilisi, Georgia |
Lightweight Championship
- 70 kg (155 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Vacant | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Title vacated after Bagov moved up to welterweight. | ||||
| 1 | def. Khuseyn Khaliev for the inaugural ACA Lightweight championship. |
ACA 99 |
September 27, 2019 | |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 2 | |
ACB 89 |
September 8, 2018 | |
| Interim | def. Andrey Koshkin for interim title |
ACB 71 |
September 30, 2017 | |
| 1 | def. Ali Bagov |
ACB 9 |
June 22, 2014 |
1. def. Eduard Vartanyan at ACB 32 on March 26, 2016 in Moscow, Russia |
Featherweight Championship
- 66 kg (145 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |
ACA 100 |
October 4, 2019 | |
| 1 | def. Marat Balaev for the inaugural ACA Featherweight championship. |
ACA 93 |
March 16, 2019 | |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 3 | |
ACB 86 |
May 5, 2018 | |
| Interim | def. Alexander Peduson for interim title |
ACB 77 |
December 23, 2017 | |
| 2 | def. Yusuf Raisov |
ACB 50 |
December 18, 2016 |
1. def. Adlan Bataev at ACB 61 on May 20, 2017 in Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Zabit Magomedsharipov vacated the title when he signed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | ||||
| 1 | def. Sheikh-Magomed Arapkhanov |
ACB 31 |
March 29, 2016 |
1. def. Valdines Silva at ACB 45 on September 17, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Bantamweight Championship
- 61 kg (135 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Shamil Shakhbulatov |
ACA 105 |
March 6, 2020 | |
| Kerimov was stripped of the title for unknown reasons | ||||
| 1 | def. Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev for the inaugural ACA Bantamweight championship. |
ACA 93 |
March 16, 2019 |
1. def. Francisco Maciel at ACA 103 on December 14, 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 3 | def. Oleg Borisov |
ACB 83 |
March 24, 2018 | |
| Petr Yan vacated the title when he signed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | ||||
| 2 | |
ACB 57 |
April 15, 2017 |
1. def. Matheus Mattos at ACB 71 on September 30, 2017 in Moscow, Russia |
| 1 | def. Petr Yan |
ACB 32 |
March 26, 2016 |
1. def. Oleg Borisov at ACB 50 on December 18, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Flyweight Championship
- 57 kg (125 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Mansur Khatuev |
ACA 104 |
February 21, 2020 | |
| Yunus Evloev vacated the title in December 2019 for health reasons. | ||||
| 1 | def. Josiel Silva for the inaugural ACA Flyweight championship. |
ACA 95 |
April 27, 2019 |
1. def. Azam Gaforov at ACA 99 on September 27, 2019 in Moscow, Russia |
| ACB and WFCA merging to become ACA. | ||||
| 1 | def. José Maria Tomé |
ACB 48 |
October 22, 2016 |
1. def. Anthony Leone at ACB 58 on April 22, 2017 in Khasavyurt, Russia |
Kickboxing
Heavyweight Championship
- 120 kg (265 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |
ACB KB 15 |
April 20, 2018 | |
| 1 | def. Kirk Krouba |
ACB KB 6.svg.png){kind=small} |
June 5, 2016 |
Middleweight Championship
- 85 kg (187 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Igor Bugaenko |
ACB KB 15 |
April 20, 2018 |
Welterweight Championship
- 77 kg (170 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Islam Baibatyrov |
ACB KB 15 |
April 20, 2018 |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
GI Heavyweight Championship
- 120 kg (265 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |
ACB JJ 13 |
May 5, 2018 | |
| 2 | |
ACB JJ 10 |
January 26, 2018 | |
| 1 | def. Alexander Trans |
ACB JJ 5 |
June 22, 2014 |
GI Light Heavyweight Championship
- 95 kg (209 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Adam Wardziński |
ACB JJ 12 |
April 14, 2018 |
Middleweight Championship
- 85 kg (187 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Gabriel Arges |
ACB JJ 13 |
May 5, 2018 |
GI Welterweight Championship
- 75 kg (165 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |
ACB JJ 14 |
June 30, 2018 | |
| 1 | def. Edwin Najmi |
ACB JJ 11 |
March 3, 2018 |
GI Lightweight Championship
- 65 kg (143 lbs)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Augusto Mendes |
ACB JJ 10 |
January 26, 2018 |
1. def. Osvaldo Moizinho at ACB JJ 12 on April 14, 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan |
GI Featherweight Championship
- 60 kg (132 lbs)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | def. Samir Chantre |
ACB JJ 12 |
April 14, 2018 |
1. def. Ary Farias at ACB JJ 14 on June 30, 2018 in Moscow, Russia |
Grand Prix champions
| Weight Class | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date | Tournament Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACB Heavyweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 24: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 2 | October 24, 2015 | ACB Heavyweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Light Heavyweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 24: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 2 | October 24, 2015 | ACB Light Heavyweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Middleweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 38: Breakthrough | May 20, 2016 | ACB Middleweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Welterweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 22: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 1 | September 12, 2015 | ACB Welterweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Lightweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 22: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 1 | September 12, 2015 | ACB Lightweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Featherweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 24: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 2 | October 24, 2015 | ACB Featherweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Bantamweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 24: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 2 | October 24, 2015 | ACB Bantamweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
| ACB Flyweight GP 2015 | | | ACB 26: Grand Prix 2015 Finals Stage 3 | November 28, 2015 | ACB Flyweight Grand Prix 2015 bracket |
Notable fighters
Mixed martial arts
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Kickboxing
Controversy
A number of controversial issues evolve around ACA and its connection to Ramzan Kadyrov, who is the leader of Chechnya and accused of multiple human rights violations.[4]
Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly used his MMA promotion WFCA to promote himself as a benevolent leader posing next to invited guests from the UFC to clean his image as a dictator and tyrant.[5] Furthermore, he supposedly used MMA fighters as an extension of his government even abroad in Europe to threaten and silence his critics.[6]
See also
Notes
- Originally, the event was to be held on April 29, 2017 at Manege Palace of Sports in Vladikavkaz, Russia.
References
- Zidan, Karim (2014-12-22). "Ripe with ambition, ACB President Bekhan Khasiev confident his promotion will garner international recognition". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- "ACB purchases TECH-Krep FC". sports.ru. September 12, 2018.
- https://tass.ru/sport/5847959
- "Ramzan Kadyrov", Wikipedia, 2019-02-25, retrieved 2019-02-26
- Zidan, Karim (2018-12-18). "How the ACB/Akhmat merger expands Kadyrov's influence in MMA". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
- "The dilemma of the Chechen diaspora in the EU". The dilemma of the Chechen diaspora in the EU. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
External links
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