Magomed Ismailov to Face Ivan Shtyrkov in ACA 115 Headliner on Dec. 12

After Magomed Ismailov defeated Aleksander Emelianenko by third-round technical knockout at Absolute Championship Akhmat 107, the promotion has found a new challenge for the 34-year-old Russian known as “Bald Hawk.”

Ismailov (16-2-1) will face Ivan Shtyrkov (17-1-1) in the ACA 115 main event on Dec. 12. A location and venue for the event will be announced at a later date.

The 34-year-old Ismailov will make his debut in the light heavyweight division to participate in this bout. Prior to facing Emelianenko in a heavyweight affair, Ismailov had previously only competed at middleweight. But in order to meet "The Grim Reaper, he gained nearly 29 pounds – and was still outweighed by approximately 44 pounds. Now, Ismailov seems to have found a middle ground in terms of weight.

Ismailov is currently on an 11-fight unbeaten streak, with a draw against Vladimir Mineev the only blemish on his ledger during that time. During that run, the Golden Team representative has won six bouts by knockout, two by decision and two via submission. He owns notable career wins over the likes of Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, Artem Frolov, Vladimir Katykhin, Ildemar Alcantara and others.

Shtyrkov was unbeaten in 16 career outings until he was submitted by Yasubey Enomoto via rear-naked choke in the second round at Russian Cagefighting Championship 7 on Dec. 14. The “Ural Hulk” rebounded from that defeat with a decision win over Michal Pasternak, which earned him an ACA contract from promotion president Alexey Yatsenko.