Although this week in the world of MMA is marked by the numbered tournament UFC 312 taking place in Australia, the main fight for Kazakhstani viewers is undoubtedly the bout of Artem Reznikov (25-8) at the event ACA 183 in Krasnodar (Russia). A correspondent from Vesti.kz discusses another attempt by the Russian organization to arrange a rematch between two prominent names.
On Saturday, February 8, the 183rd numbered tournament of the fighting league Absolutt Championship Akhmat will take place in Krasnodar. Besides title fights in the welterweight and middleweight divisions, the audience will be treated to the long-awaited rematch between Kazakhstani Reznikov and Russian Yusuf Raisov (21-3).
The 33-year-old Reznikov and 29-year-old Raisov first faced each other in September 2020. At that time, Reznikov unexpectedly defeated Raisov by split decision. Both fighters entered that match on a seven-fight winning streak, with Yusuf's record being 16-1 and Artem's 21-6.
Nearly four and a half years later, they will meet again, but this time in the welterweight limit instead of lightweight. After their first fight, Raisov has entered the cage six times (5-1) and is currently on a two-fight winning streak, while Reznikov has had five more bouts (3-2), winning his latest match as well.
For the fighters, this is a crucial confrontation that does not hold any ranking or title significance. They simply want to determine who is stronger and settle all disputes.
In December 2024, they were supposed to meet at the tournament ACA 182 in Moscow. However, just a couple of days before the event, the Kazakh fighter withdrew from the fight. He fell seriously ill prior to the bout and was unable to cut weight due to a high fever and sore throat.
This situation turned into a scandal. The league's management, represented by vice-president Aslanbek Badaev , criticized Artem. However, the Kazakhstani fighter did not remain silent and responded to all accusations and insinuations, stating that he was ready to fight Raisov at the next tournament when he was healthy.
Once all the emotions settled, it became clear to everyone that Reznikov's decision to withdraw from the fight was logical. Everyone wanted to see a competitive and heated match where the fighters would determine who the strongest was. But if Reznikov had entered such an important confrontation while sick and unprepared, it would have resulted in a completely unobjective and uninteresting picture for MMA enthusiasts.
Now, nearly two months later, the fighters are approaching the match again, and they appear to be ready and healthy. It is essential for Yusuf and Artem to maintain these conditions until the end of the week, until they step into the octagon and showcase a thrilling show for the audience.
It is worth noting that the ACA 183 tournament will begin on Saturday, February 18, at 18:00 Kazakhstan time. The official website of the organization lists the event card, which consists of 17 bouts. The fight between Reznikov and Raisov is scheduled as the 15th match, so it will take place closer to midnight.