Introduction
Akop Stepanyan (Russian: Акоп Степанян, Armenian: Հակոբ Ստեփանյան; born May 6, 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist of Armenian heritage who competed in the featherweight and lightweight division for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is currently fights in the lightweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut.
Mixed martial arts career
M-1 Global
Stepanyan lost via submission (armbar) to Zagalav Mahachev at M-1 Challenge - 2009 Selections 2 in the first round.
Post-M-1 Global
Stepanyan lost via unanimous decision (30–28, 29–28, 29–28) to Djamal Kurbanov at FEFoMP - Vladivostok Pankration Open Cup 2009 on April 25, 2009.
Return to M-1 Global
Stepanyan lost via submission (rear-naked choke) to Magomed Magomedov at M-1 Challenge - 2009 Selections 5 in the first round.
Stepanyan was released from the M-1 after going 0-2 in the promotion.
Bellator MMA
In July, Stepanyan signed in Bellator.
Stepanyan was then entered into the season seven featherweight tournament. His quarterfinal opponent was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Wagnney Fabiano at Bellator 76. He lost the bout via first round armbar submission.
Stepanyan next faced former Sengoku Featherweight Champion Marlon Sandro in season eight featherweight tournament on February 7, 2013 at Bellator 88. He lost the fight via controversial majority decision.
Stepanyan faced Chris Saunders on March 7, 2013 at Bellator 92. He won the fight via TKO in the third round.
Stepanyan was expected to face Shahbulat Shamhalaev on September 13, 2013 at Bellator 99. However, Shamhalaev withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Justin Wilcox. Stepanyan dominated the first round, but was stopped by a rear naked choke submission in the second round.
Stepanyan faced Mike Richman at Bellator 106 on November 2, 2013. Stepanyan had Richman in trouble early in the fight, but lost in the first round via TKO.
League S-70
After Bellator dismissal Akop Stepanyan faced ex-UFC fighter Andre Winner. He won via unanimous decision.
Absolute Championship Berkut
Stepanyan signed a four-fight deal with the ACB in February, 2017.
Stepanyan faced Mukhamed Kokov on April 15, 2017 at ACB 57: Payback. He lost the fight via submission in the third round.
Stepanyan facedFelipe Cruz on June 17, 2017 at ACB 62. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.
Championships and accomplishments
ARG (Army Hand-to-Hand Combat)
- Russian Union of Martial Arts
- Russian National Champion of Army Hand-to-Hand Combat
Kickboxing
- Kick-Boxing Federation of Russia
- Russian National Champion
- Silver Medalist European Championship 2004
Taekwondo
- Taekwondo Union of Russia
- Russian National Champion 2002
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 35 matches | 23 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 13 | 2 |
| By submission | 2 | 6 |
| By decision | 8 | 3 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 25–11 | Magomed Sulumov | Decision (unanimous) | ACB 89: Aguev vs. Townsend | September 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Krasnodar, Russia | |
| Loss | 25–10 | Andrew Fisher | TKO (injury) | ACB 74: Aguev vs. Townsend | November 18, 2017 | 2 | 1:01 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 25–9 | Felipe Cruz | KO (spinning heel kick) | ACB 62: Stepanyan vs. Cruz | June 17, 2017 | 1 | 4:38 | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | |
| Loss | 24–9 | Mukhamed Kokov | Submission (kimura) | ACB 57: Payback | April 15, 2017 | 3 | 0:51 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 24–8 | Thiago Meller | Decision (split) | League S-70: Plotforma 7th | August 21, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Sochi, Russia | |
| Win | 23–8 | Will Chope | Decision (split) | Abu Dhabi Warriors 4 | May 24, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 22–8 | Vener Galiev | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fight Nights Global 45: Galiev vs. Stepanyan | April 22, 2016 | 3 | 3:16 | Ufa, Russia | |
| Win | 22–7 | Leonardo Laiola | TKO (punches) | Octagon Fighting Sensation 6: Best of the Best | November 20, 2015 | 1 | 4:59 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 21–7 | Sung Jo Jong | KO (punches) | MFP: Cup of the Sakhalin Administration Head 2015 | October 31, 2015 | 1 | 0:11 | Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia | |
| Win | 20–7 | Andre Winner | Decision (unanimous) | League S-70: Russia vs. World | August 29, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Sochi, Krasnodar krai, Russia | |
| Win | 19–7 | Helson Henriques | Decision (unanimous) | FEFoMP: Mayor's Cup 2015 | June 6, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 18–7 | Mohamed Hassan Badawy | TKO (punches) | Octagon Fighting Sensation 4: Challenge the Best | May 16, 2015 | 2 | 4:19 | Yaroslavl, Russia | |
| Win | 17–7 | Clayton Henriques | Decision (unanimous) | FEFoMP: Pankration & Fight Nights 2 | April 18, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Vladivostok, Russia | |
| Win | 16–7 | Eddie Yagin | KO (head kick) | FEFoMP: Russia's MMA Supercup | December 20, 2014 | 2 | 4:44 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 15–7 | Mikhail Kislica | TKO (body punch) | ProFC 56: Baltic Challenge 6 | November 1, 2014 | 1 | 4:41 | Kaliningrad, Russia | |
| Win | 14–7 | Anatoli Angielovskyi | TKO (spinning back kick and punches) | OFS - Octogan Fighting Sensation 2 | October 17, 2014 | 1 | 2:47 | Yaroslavl, Russia | |
| Loss | 13–7 | Mike Richman | TKO (punches) | Bellator 106 | November 2, 2013 | 1 | 4:05 | Long Beach, California, United States | |
| Loss | 13–6 | Justin Wilcox | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 99 | September 13, 2013 | 2 | 2:20 | Temecula, California, United States | Bellator Season 9 Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 13–5 | Chris Saunders | TKO (body kick and punches) | Bellator 92 | March 7, 2013 | 3 | 3:55 | Temecula, California, United States | |
| Loss | 12–5 | Marlon Sandro | Decision (majority) | Bellator 88 | February 7, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Duluth, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 12–4 | Wagnney Fabiano | Submission (armbar) | Bellator 76 | October 12, 2012 | 1 | 3:24 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | |
| Win | 12–3 | Akhmet Aliev | KO (punch) | League S-70: Russian Championship Finals | August 11, 2012 | 1 | 2:11 | Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia | |
| Win | 11–3 | Anatoliy Pokrovsky | TKO (body kick) | League S-70: Russian Championship Semifinals | May 25, 2012 | 3 | 1:50 | Moscow, Moscow Oblast, Russia | |
| Win | 10–3 | Antti Virtanen | Submission (guillotine choke) | Lappeenranta Fight Night 7 | April 14, 2012 | 1 | 0:53 | Lappeenranta, South Karelia, Finland | |
| Win | 9–3 | Yevgeniy Lakhin | TKO (body punch) | League S-70: Russian Championship Second Round | February 18, 2012 | 3 | 3:19 | Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia | |
| Win | 8–3 | Dmitriy Ushkanov | Decision (split) | FEFoMP - Battle of Empires | December 17, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia | |
| Win | 7–3 | Babyrbek Samiev | Submission (guillotine choke) | FWR - Fights With Rules 3 | November 25, 2011 | 1 | 2:35 | Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia | |
| Win | 6–3 | Atchin Chaoshen Ne | Decision (unanimous) | FEFoMP - Mayor's Cup 2011 | May 7, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia | |
| Win | 5–3 | Aleksey Ershik | Decision (unanimous) | FEFoMP - Amur Challenge | April 16, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia | |
| Win | 4–3 | Mikhail Drinovski | Decision (unanimous) | Northwestern League of Combat Sambo: Tournament in Memory of Private Korzun | October 23, 2010 | 2 | 5:00 | Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia | |
| Win | 3–3 | Kazbek Magomedov | TKO (punches) | Northwestern League of Combat Sambo - Tournament in Memory of Partisan German | September 11, 2010 | 1 | 3:24 | Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia | |
| Win | 2–3 | Andrei Shpota | KO (punch) | ProFC - Union Nation Cup 5 | February 13, 2010 | 1 | 3:42 | Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia | |
| Win | 1–3 | Djamal Kurbanov | KO (wheel kick) | FEFoMP - Mayor's Cup in Pankration | November 21, 2009 | 3 | 1:09 | Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia | |
| Loss | 0–3 | Magomed Magomedov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 5 | July 22, 2009 | 1 | 3:30 | Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia | |
| Loss | 0–2 | Djamal Kurbanov | Decision (unanimous) | FEFoMP - Vladivostok Pankration Open Cup 2009 | April 25, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Zagalav Mahachev | Submission (armbar) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 2 | April 19, 2009 | 1 | 4:55 | Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia |