2018 in Absolute Championship Berkut

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2018 in Absolute Championship Berkut

Overview
- 2018 was the sixth year of Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), a Russian promotion for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
- The year featured 24 events across MMA, kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu, with shows held in Russia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, France, Spain, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Romania, and other locations.

Key events and highlights
- January
- ACB 78: Young Eagles 24 — January 13 in Grozny, Russia (MMA).
- ACB JJ 10: Panza vs. Rocha — January 26 in São Paulo, Brazil (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).
- ACB 79: Agujev vs. Alfaya — January 27 in Grozny, Russia (MMA). Several planned title fights were affected by withdrawals and injuries, with postponements and replacements noted.
- ACB 80: Tumenov vs. Burrell — January 27 in Grozny, Russia (MMA).
- February
- ACB 81: Saidov vs. Carneiro — February 23 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (MMA).
- ACB KB 13: From Paris with War — February 24 in Paris, France (kickboxing).
- ACB JJ 11: Ramos vs. Najmi — February 24/23 (date/location listed as February 23/24) in Badalona, Spain (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).
- March
- ACB 82: Silva vs. Kolobegov — March 9 in São Paulo, Brazil (MMA).
- ACB KB 14: Diamonds — March 23 in Orel, Russia (kickboxing).
- ACB 83: Borisov vs. Kerimov — March 24 in Baku, Azerbaijan (MMA). Some travel delays affected fighter availability; a bout was canceled.
- ACB 84: Burrell vs. Agujev — April 7 in Bratislava, Slovakia (MMA).
- April
- ACB Jiu-Jitsu 12: Wardzinski vs. Pena — April 14 in Almaty, Kazakhstan (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).
- ACB KB 15: Grand Prix Kitek — April 20 in Moscow, Russia (kickboxing).
- ACB 85: Leone vs. Ginazov — April 21 in Rimini, Italy (MMA).
- May
- ACB 86: Balaev vs. Raisov 2 — May 5 in Moscow, Russia (MMA). Several changes to the card due to injuries and withdrawals; some title defenses and matchups were adjusted.
- ACB 87: Mousah vs. Whiteford — May 19 in Nottingham, United Kingdom (MMA).
- June
- ACB 88: Barnatt vs. Celiński — June 16 in Brisbane, Australia (MMA). Several travel and visa issues led to changes; some fights were canceled or replaced.
- ACB Jiu-Jitsu 13: Ramos vs. Almeida — June 30 in Moscow, Russia (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).
- July
- ACB KB 16: Clash of Titans — July 13 in Târgoviște, Romania (kickboxing).
- ACB 89: Sarnavskiy vs. Batista — scheduled for July 28 in Limassol, Cyprus but was canceled.
- August
- ACB 90: Khamanaev vs. Silva — scheduled for August 11 in London, United Kingdom but was canceled; another card was moved/cancelled across the period.
- ACB 91: Duraev vs. Strus — scheduled for August 11 in London but canceled; ACB 92: Duraev vs. Strus also canceled (mid-year disruption).
- ACB 89: Abdulvakhabov vs. Bagov 3 — eventually set for September 8 in Krasnodar, Russia with significant changes to the card.
- September
- ACB 89: Abdulvakhabov vs. Bagov 3 — September 8 in Krasnodar, Russia. The event featured discussions of title implications, but many changes occurred due to injuries. Abdulvakhabov vacated the welterweight title due to related issues; replacements and adjustments were made, including talks of a vacant welterweight title fight between Brett Cooper and Albert Tumenov (Cooper later withdrew due to injury; Ciro Rodrigues stepped in as a replacement).
- November
- ACB 90: Vakhaev vs. Bilostenniy — November 10 in Moscow, Russia. The event carried $10,000 performance bonuses for selected fighters.

Bonuses
- Across various events, ACB routinely awarded post-fight bonuses. Common amounts were $5,000 and $10,000, given to fighters for notable performances and achievements at individual events.

Notes on changes and cancellations
- The year saw numerous withdrawals, injuries, and replacements, leading to frequent card changes.
- Because of cancellations and rescheduling, several events were renumbered or restructured. For example, the planned ACB 93 numbering was adjusted, with the Krasnodar event on September 8 effectively serving as ACB 89.

Summary
- 2018 was a busy year for ACB, expanding the promotion’s reach across multiple countries and three combat disciplines. The year featured a mix of MMA, kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events, a number of headlining fights, and frequent changes due to injuries and other issues. Several events offered substantial bonus prizes, highlighting the promotion’s emphasis on rewarding standout performances.