Chechen MMA organization ACB looking to challenge the UFC’s global market

The UFC may currently have a stranglehold over the international MMA market, but up-and-coming Chechen promotion ACB has some ambitious plans for global expansion over the coming years.

The ACB has already hosted 10 events in various places in Russia, with two more scheduled to take place before the end of the year. It appears to have the full support of the Chechen Republic President Ramzan Kadyrov and is not lacking in any resources or investment options.

One of the promotion's leaders, Mairbek Hasiev, revealed his plans for the organization's future:

"Exactly, for this moment UFC is the best organization in the world, but we aren't going to rise up our fighters for them. For sure we can be proud of our fighters Hamanev, Isaev and Bibulatov and we can let them do some kind of exploration and feel their feet, but we aren't planning to let them go to another promotions. ACB is ready to be as a serious competitor.

"I am an ambitious person and my goal is to fight with the UFC as a mixed martial arts leader at the global level."

A wide array of fighters from Chechnya and Dagestan have recently found their way into some of the top promotions in North America, including both the UFC and Bellator. Amongst those fighters are notable standouts Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rustam Khabilov, Azamat Gashimov and Adlan Amagov.

Transcription and translation provided by MMABoxing.ru.