Aren Akopyan defeats Azam Gaforov and becomes ACA title contender

Armenian fighter Aren Akopyan earned an important victory at ACA 203 in Tashkent. In a flyweight title eliminator, Akopyan defeated Azam Gaforov by unanimous decision after five rounds.

The judges scored the bout 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 in favor of Akopyan. For Aren, this was his eighth consecutive victory.

The fight was mostly contested on the feet, with only a short grappling exchange in the fifth round. Akopyan worked smartly as the counter fighter, was faster than his opponent and repeatedly caught Gaforov with accurate counterattacks.

Over the course of five rounds, the Armenian fighter looked more confident and cleaner in his work. He avoided unnecessary exchanges, controlled the distance well and managed to win the most important fight of his career at this stage.

After this victory, Akopyan improved his record to 20-3-1, while Azam Gaforov suffered the fifth loss of his career, with 16 wins to his name.

The main outcome of the fight is that Aren Akopyan has become the challenger for the ACA flyweight title. He is now expected to receive a title fight against the division’s reigning champion, Anatoly Kondratyev.

For Akopyan, this will be his second attempt to capture the ACA belt. With an eight-fight winning streak behind him, the Armenian fighter enters the title picture in excellent form and with a serious claim to the championship.