#AndStill ACA Heavyweight champion!Tony Johnson finishes Dmitry Poberezhets via TKO!
#ACA122 pic.twitter.com/sVCTnfO5v3— ACAMMA (@ACA_League)
April 23, 2021
Things might not go well for the U.S.-based fighters competing in
an MMA organization that has been sanctioned by the U.S. Department
of Treasury. In
December, Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov and his companies
including the fight team Akhmat Fight Club and MMA organization
Absolute Championship Akhmat were sanctioned by
the U.S. Department of Treasury. The sanctions were levied for
“serious human rights abuse across several countries in the Western
Hemisphere, Middle East and Eurasia.” Kadyrov himself was marked in
the past for extrajudicial killings and other gross violations of
international human rights.
As a result, Kadyrov’s companies, including ACA, are forbidden to
involve any Americans, with the Treasury Department strictly
prohibiting any transactions with these properties and U.S.
persons. It also includes the payment for funds, goods or services,
which includes competing in ACA events. At
ACA 122 on Friday, a trio of fighters from the U.S. defied the
sanctions and competed on the card: ACA heavyweight champ Tony
Johnson, heavyweight Daniel
James and middleweight Chris
Honeycutt. The sanctions were not lifted upon the change of
presidential administrations in the U.S.
Tony Johnson Jr.
#AndSTILL
#ACA122 pic.twitter.com/deId49tGzT— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman)
April 23, 2021
At this event, Honeycutt fell short when Azamat
Bekoev submitted him, and James lost a unanimous verdict to
Daniel
Omielanczuk. Johnson did get his hand raised and retained his
belt, pounding out Dmitry
Poberezhets in the third frame of their title fight. It is yet
unclear what the ramifications will be for these three fighters
traveling to the ACA card, competing and getting paid for their
work. The regulations stipulate that unless authorized by the
department itself, these individuals will be blocked from all of
their transactions with ACA, including pay. These restrictions also
carry over to the fighters’ teams with American members, as well as
any U.S. referees or officials employed – referee Herb Dean is a
frequent member of the ACA officiating crew, and was also involved
in this event.
The sanctions implications from the U.S. Department of the
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) read as
follows:
”SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in
property of the persons above that are in the United States or in
the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be
reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned,
directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked
persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or
specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s
regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or
within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property
or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked
persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or
provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit
of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or
provision of funds, goods, or services from any such
person.”