Evgeniy Goncharov

Evgeny Goncharov (born August 3, 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), where he is the current ACA Heavyweight Champion. In July 2023, Goncharov reached #15 in World Heavyweight rankings according to Fight Matrix.

Background
Evgeny Viktorovich Goncharov is a native of the village of Krivyanskaya, located in the Oktyabrsky District of Rostov Oblast. From an early age, Goncharov began to get involved in football, spending a lot of time on the field with friends and watching all the matches on TV. However, all this did not become something more than an ordinary hobby, and throughout all the school years, Goncharov did not stand out from the rest with sports success. Moreover, the “troika” in physical education was quite normal for him.

But after graduation, the guy dramatically changed his attitude to physical activity and joined the martial arts, starting to engage in army hand-to-hand combat. In a fairly short time, Evgeny began to show good results, which allowed him to start performing amateurs in several combat disciplines. Active immersion in the world of martial arts did not prevent higher education. First of all, the young man went to study as a lawyer, but in the future he also entered the Polytechnic University in Novocherkassk, where he mastered the profession of “Trainer-teacher”. In parallel with his studies, Evgeny actively competed at various levels. As a result, Goncharov managed to win the titles of the champion in kickboxing, ARB, universal combat, and also prove himself in freestyle wrestling and boxing. With such a set of skills, Goncharov was destined to get into mixed martial arts.

Early career
Goncharov began his career as a professional MMA fighter in 2013, debuting at the TKFC Black Sea Open Cup 3 tournament where he defeated Denis Yezuta by split decision. He faced a setback two weeks later at the Black Sea Open Cup 5, losing by knockout to Ayub Khatuev. Between 2014 and 2017, Goncharov competed in 9 fights across various organizations including ProFC and M-1, experiencing only one loss. His significant success came with the WFCA, where he debuted in September 2017 at the WFCA 42 tournament, defeating Igor Slesarchuk. Following two more victories against Alexei Stoyan and Brandon Cash, Goncharov became a contender for the heavyweight belt. At the WFCA 50 tournament, he secured the title by decisively knocking out Zelimkhan Umiyev.

Absolute Championship Akhmat
After WFCA merged with ACB to form ACA, Goncharov transitioned to the new organization. He fought for the title against Tony Johnson Jr. at ACA 96, but the match was halted due to an accidental eye poke.

In a rematch against Tony Johnson Jr. at ACA 97, Goncharov won unanimously, becoming the ACA Heavyweight Champion. In his first title defence, he took on Mukhumat Vakhaev at ACA 104, Goncharov was much more active during the first two rounds and successfully interrupted his opponent in the standing position. The public observed the same picture in the 3rd round, but Vakhaev decided to go the other way, delivering several illegal blows to the back of the opponent's head. Eugene later said that after these blows, he began to feel weakened and could not fight normally, resulting in him losing in the third round via guillotine submission.

In October 2020, at RCC 9, Goncharov won unanimously against Anton Vyazigin. He returned to ACA in 2021 and knocked out Daniel Omielańczuk in the third round at ACA 128.

In September 2022, during the co-main event of the ACA 145 tournament, Russian heavyweight Evgeny Goncharov faced off once again Tony Johnson Jr. Goncharov managed to knock Johnson down with a powerful left hook to the head in the first round, leading to a TKO victory for Goncharov.

Goncharov later participated in a rematch with Muhumat Vakhaev at the ACA 150 tournament. Despite a competitive first half, Goncharov accelerated his pace and increased his punch volume by the third round. While there was a moment where Goncharov seemed close to an early victory, fatigue set in, and the fighters slowed down. The fight went to the final gong, with all five judges unanimously scoring the winner 29–28 in Goncharov's favor.

Finally, Goncharov fought against champion Alikhan Vakhaev in the Quarterfinal of the 2023 ACA Heavyweight Grand Prix at ACA 154. Goncharov began the fight energetically, throwing hand combinations, but Vakhaev controlled the distance and didn't receive any significant hits. In the second round, Vakhaev knocked down Goncharov and attempted to finish on the ground, but Goncharov defended himself and launched his own attack. The pace of the fight slowed in the third and fourth rounds, with the fighters exchanging blows in a standing position, with Goncharov showing more activity. The final period was largely uneventful and took place in the clinch near the net. After five rounds, Goncharov won the fight with scores of 49–46, 48–47, 48–47, 48–47, and 48–47, making him the new ACA Heavyweight Champion.

In the semi-final, Goncharov rematched Anton Vyazigin on February 9, 2024 at ACA 170, defending the title and advancing to the final via unanimous decision in a very close bout.

Mixed martial arts

 * Absolute Championship Akhmat
 * ACA Heavyweight Championship (Two times, current)
 * Akhmat Fight Club
 * AFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)