TEHRAN - Amir Ali 
Akbari, an Iranian MMA heavyweight fighter, will face Alikhan Vakayev, the current ACA heavyweight champion, in one of the most thrilling fights of his career, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the ACA 206 event in Moscow.
Both fights represent significant matchups in their respective weight classes for the promotion. 
Aliakbari secured his title shot after back-to-back victories following his return to ACA. In the summer of 2025, the Iranian heavyweight stopped Salimgerey Rasulov before defeating Tony Johnson later that year. 
The challenger owns a 16-4 professional record, with 11 victories by knockout. His clash with Vakhaev will pit one of the promotion’s most well-rounded heavyweights against one of the division’s most dangerous knockout artists. 
Vakhaev captured the championship in the fall of 2025 at ACA 195, defeating Kirill Kornilov by unanimous decision after five rounds. Prior to that, he earned victories over Tony Johnson and Yuri Fyodorov. 
The champion enters the bout with a professional record of 15-3. Seven of his wins have come by knockout, one by submission, and seven by decision. Notably, Vakhaev has never been knocked out in his professional career. 
This match is of particular importance to Ali Akbari, because after years of participation in the most prestigious MMA organizations in the world, he is now only one victory away from winning the first major belt of his career.