Aleksander Emelianenko - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Alexander Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( ˌalekˈsandr vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪlʲˈjanʲɪnkə; born August 02, 1981), more commonly known as Alexander Emelianenko or Aleksander Emelianenko, is a Russian

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

mixed martial artist

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

. He is a three-times Russian national Sambo

Sambo (martial art)

Sambo is a Russian martial art and combat sport. The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMooborona Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand to hand...

champion and three-time world Sambo champion in the absolute division. He is the younger brother of Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo...

Background

Emelianenko was born on August 02, 1981 in Stary Oskol

Stary Oskol

Stary Oskol is a city in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Moscow, on the Oskol River. Population: 221,163 ; 215,898 ; -History:...

, Belgorod Oblast

Belgorod Oblast

Belgorod Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population: 1,532,670 .-History:...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

(Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....

at the time) in a family of a teacher, Olga Feodorovna Emelianenko, and a welder, Vladimir Alexandrovich Emelianenko. He is the third child in the family and has an older sister, Marina, an older brother, Fedor

Fedor Emelianenko

, and a younger brother, Ivan.

In his childhood

Childhood

Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...

, since his parents were working during the day, Emelianenko spent a lot of time on the streets. During his early teens, he used to take part in street fights while his parents were working, going so far as being involved in a riot

Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...

between neighborhoods.

Since his family did not have enough money, her mother used to prepare a single food for all the week for Emelianenko and his brothers and he shared some clothing with his older brother.

Initially studying to become an electrician

Electrician

An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...

at the vocational school

Vocational school

A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...

, Emelianenko finished his studies in 1999 as an electric welder

Arc welding

Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct or alternating current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes...

after he was transferred several times to other technical specialties for bad behavior.

When he was a teenager, while his brother Fedor was in the Russian Army

Russian Ground Forces

The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...

, his parents got separated and, since then, Emelianenko has had a strained relationship with his father, with whom he rarely speaks.

Martial arts training

Emelianenko started martial arts training at a very early age: his older brother, Fedor, often had to babysit him, and since Fedor did not want to miss his Sambo practice, he took young Aleksander with him. At first, Emelianenko only observed the older kids, but soon he started mimicking their movements. He started his formal Sambo training when he joined elementary school, training with Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov.

Besides Sambo, Emelianenko practiced judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

, wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

and boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

and he also participated in other sports like basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

and football. At 16 years old, when he was in training school, his mother forbade him from training boxing but Emelianenko kept doing it in secret.

Also at 16 years old, Emelianenko became a Russian Master of Sport in judo.

In 1999, Emelianenko won the European championships in sports Sambo.

In 2003 he won the World Combat Sambo championships and repeated this feat in 2004 and 2006.

In 2010, during February 19–22, Emelianeko took part in the Russian Cup of Combat Sambo representing Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, winning the heavyweight tournament (his brother Fedor injured his hand during the tournament) and earning the right to represent Russia at the World Championships.

Emelianenko participated in sambo at Sportaccord Combat Games 2010 in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, where he won the silver medal in the +100 kg category.

The Pride years

One of the youngest fighter to debut in Pride Fighting Championships at 22 years old, on at the event Pride Bushido 1
PRIDE Bushido 1
PRIDE Bushido 1 was a mixed martial arts event held by the PRIDE Fighting Championships. The card was billed as Team Japan Vs. Team Gracie, with five events represented by both a "coach" Hidehiko Yoshida fighter and a "coach" Royce Gracie fighter . It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in...

, Emelianenko made his professional mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

(MMA) debut against Brazilian Assuerio Silva

Assuerio Silva

Assuerio Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer, having most recently competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pancrase. He became the Heavyweight King of Pancrase on May 30, 2007, defeating Tatsuya Mizuno.Silva holds a professional fight record of 13–6–01, the...

, defeating Silva by split decision

Split decision

A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...

.

In his next fight on , Emelianenko fought against Brazilian fighter Angelo Araujo at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 Inoki Festival, defeating Silva by TKO

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

after Emelianenko cut Araujo above the right eye and the doctor stopped the fight.

At PRIDE Bushido 3
PRIDE Bushido 3
Pride Bushido 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on May 23, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between Team Gracie and Team Japan....

on , Emelianenko defeated Australian

Australian people

Australian people, or simply Australians, are the citizens of Australia. Australia is a multi-ethnic nation, and therefore the term "Australian" is not a racial identifier. Aside from the Indigenous Australian population, nearly all Australians or their ancestors immigrated within the past 230 years...

Matt Foki via rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...

in the first round.

In his fourth professional fight, Emelianenko was defeated in the first round via KO (head kick) by Croat

Croats

Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...

Mirko Filipović

Mirko Filipovic

Mirko Filipović is a former Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007...

, one of the top heavyweight contenders in MMA at the time, at Pride Final Conflict 2004
PRIDE Final Conflict 2004
Pride Final Conflict 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event held the final round of the 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament...

on .

On , Emelianenko rebounded with a victory over Brazilian Carlos "Carlão" Barreto by decision at M-1 MFC Middleweight GP, the first time that Emelianenko fought outside Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Returning to Pride, on at Pride 28
PRIDE 28
Pride 28: High Octane was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on October 31, 2004.- Heath Herring vs. Hirotaka Yokoi:...

Emelianenko knocked out English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

brawler James Thompson

James Thompson

James Thompson is the name of:* James Thompson , Catholic priest hanged under Elizabeth I*James Thompson , who produced one of the first maps of York...

in eleven seconds, Emelianenko's shortest fight to date.

In his second shortest fight, Emelianenko defeated Brazilian Ricardo Morais

Ricardo Morais

Ricardo "The Mutant" Morais is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist, who competed in Pride Fighting Championships, Jungle Fight, and Rings - MMA...

by KO (punches) in fifteen seconds on at Pride Bushido 6
PRIDE Bushido 6
Pride Bushido 6 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on April 3, 2005...

. Emelianenko has commented that he broke one of his hands while punching Morais.

In his third consecutive KO victory, on Emelianenko defeated Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

kickboxer Rene Rooze

Rene Rooze

Rene Rooze is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist.-Biography and career:As a member of Team Aerts, he was an active fighter competing in mainly European events and accumulating a kickboxing record of 32-7-1 with 4 KOs...

in 28 second with a brutal knockout that left Rooze unconscious for some minutes at Bushido Rotterdam Rumble in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

At Pride Shockwave 2005
PRIDE Shockwave 2005
Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...

on , Emelianenko submitted 1996 gold medalist judoka Pawel Nastula

Pawel Nastula

Paweł Marian Nastula is a Polish judoka and mixed martial artist. He was the 1995 and 1997 Judo World Champion, and 1996 gold medallist at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, winning those titles in the U95kg weight category.-Judo career:Paweł started training Judo at the age of 10 at AZS...

with a rear naked choke in the first round.

In Emelianenko's second professional loss, on at the event Pride Total Elimination Absolute
PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute
Pride Total Elimination Absolute was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 5, 2006.-Background:...

, during the opening round of Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix, King of Pancrase Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett

Joshua Lawrence Barnett is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who currently fights in the heavyweight division of Strikeforce. Barnett has been an accomplished fighter in mixed martial arts, winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship and the King of Pancrase Openweight...

defeated Emelianenko with a keylock in the second round, after Emelianenko dominated the striking exchanges during the first round and broke Barnett's nose. Emelianenko has claimed that he had fever

Fever

Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...

before the fight, with the doctors advising him not to fight that night, which he ignored because it was the Openweight Grand Prix, the most important competition at the time.

In his last fight in Pride, Emelianenko defeated former teammate and fellow Russian Sergei Kharitonov via TKO in a back and forth match which ended in the first round after Emelianenko punched and kneed Kharitonov relentlessly on the ground, forcing the referee to stop the fight at Pride Final Conflict Absolute
PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute
Pride Final Conflict Absolute was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on September 10, 2006.-Background:...

on .

After Pride

Two months after his last fight, on at the event 2 Hot 2 Handle: Pride & Honor in Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

, Emelianenko faced Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...

specialist Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, a two-time ADCC world heavyweight champion and European Jiu-Jitsu champion. He holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai. Werdum has competed in Pride Fighting Championships, the...

, who defeated Emelianenko in the first round via submission (arm triangle choke

Arm triangle choke

Arm triangle choke, side choke, or head and arm choke are generic terms describing blood chokeholds in which the opponent is strangled in between his or her own shoulder and the practitioner's arm. This is as opposed to the regular triangle choke, which denotes a chokehold using the legs, albeit...

). In an interview with Sherdog

Sherdog

Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...

, Emelianenko stated that he did not train at all for the Werdum fight as his original opponent was not going to be Werdum, and he would like a rematch with him.

On at Bodog Fight Series II: Clash of the Nations, Emelianenko fought once again in Russia, knocking out American Eric Pele

Eric Pele

Eric Pele is a retired American mixed martial artist and former King of the Cage superheavyweight champion. He is also an accomplished tattoo artist who appears on the reality television show "Inked" with nickname 'Big E'....

with punches in the first round, the first time that Pele was knocked out in his career.

In his next match, Emelianenko faced Dutch Jessie Gibbs

Jessie Gibbs

Jessie Gibbs is a Dutch mixed martial artist, who fights in the heavyweight division. Has a notable wins over the UFC fighters Branden Lee Hinkle, Rob Broughton and Denis Stojnic.-Biography:...

(called Gibson at the time), who was a late replacement for Gilbert Yvel

Gilbert Yvel

Gilbert Ramon Yvel is a Dutch heavyweight mixed martial artist associated with the Vos Gym training camp in the Netherlands. He has competed in the Pride Fighting Championships, Affliction Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship promotions...

. Emelianenko defeated Gibbs with a kimura submission in the first round at M-1 Mix Fight Championship: Russia vs Europe on .

Fighting for the first time in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

and originally scheduled to fight Wesley Correira

Wesley Correira

Wesley "Cabbage" Correira is an American mixed martial artist. He trains with BJ Penn in Hilo, Hawaii at BJ Penn MMA.-Biography:...

, Emelianenko defeated American super heavyweight

Super Heavyweight (MMA)

The super heavyweight division in mixed martial arts has no weight limit but generally refers to competitors weighing above 265 lb .Across Europe and Asia, there are numerous promotions that feature open-weight competitions that can qualify as super heavyweight bouts.One such example is in Japan,...

Dan Bobish

Daniel "The Bull" Bobish is a retired American mixed martial artist. He was competing in the Super Heavyweight division. He is a former King of the Cage Super - Heavyweight Champion. He lost his last fight at HCF - Title Wave against Alexander Emelianenko on October 19, 2007...

via submission (guillotine choke

Guillotine choke

The guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts and wrestling applied from in front of the opponent. The choke involves using the arms to encircle the opponent's neck in a fashion similar to a guillotine. The technique is either a type of tracheal compression restraint that prevents air flow...

) in the first round on at Hardcore Championship Fighting: Title Wave in Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

. This was Bobish last professional bout as he injured his back in the fight and refused to have surgery.

Returning to Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, on , Emelianenko fought Brazilian Silvao Santos, defeating Santos by TKO (punch) at M-1 Challenge 2.

Affliction controversy

Emelianenko was signed to make his United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

debut at Affliction: Banned
Affliction: Banned
Affliction: Banned was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by Affliction Clothing and Adrenaline MMA. It took place on July 19, 2008 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California...

on . But at the weigh-ins for the event, it was informed that Emelianenko was unable to meet the licensing standards of the California State Athletic Commission

California State Athletic Commission

The California State Athletic Commission regulates professional boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events....

(CSAC). Emelianenko was replaced by Gary Goodridge

Gary Goodridge

Gary Goodridge , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian-Canadian former super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...

.

Emelianenko denied the rumors about a positive test for Hepatitis B, commenting that he was unable to compete because he was late for his medicals, arriving two days after the scheduled date for his medicals with the CSAC due to visa

Visa (document)

A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...

issues. Due to the health and privacy rules in California, the CSAC was not allowed to comment why Emelianenko was denied a license, but a member of the CSAC commented on a radio show that Emelianenko was not and would not be cleared in California, and that this also would also stand for all the USA.

Emelianenko was also expected to appear at a planned upcoming Affliction event (Affliction: Day of Reckoning) on , but was removed from any plan due to still having licensing problems on .

After Affliction

Returning to Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, on at M-1 Global

M-1 Global

M-1 Global is the mixed martial arts promotion based in Russia - The Netherlands which organizes between 40 and 50 competitions per year...

's event M-1 Challenge 9 in Saint Petersburg, Emelianenko defeated South Korean Sang Soo Lee

Sang Soo Lee

Lee Sang-Soo , often anglicised to Sang Soo-Lee, is a South Korean Sambo practitioner, and mixed martial artist. A rising Korean heavyweight fighter, Sang Soo Lee began his career on a 5-0 win streak mostly in the Spirit MC league in South Korea.Lee's participation in Sambo reflects a growing...

via KO (punches) in the first round.

Emelianenko left Red Devil Sport Club

Red Devil Sport Club

The Red Devil Sport Club is a mixed martial arts academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Vadim Finkelstein.The team’s main fighter base is made up of Russian and Armenian Sambo fighters who have adapted their style to mixed martial arts, and they regularly compete in full contact combat sambo...

on .

At the event ProFC 5: Russia vs. Europe on , Emelianenko defeated fellow Russian Ibragim Magomedov

Ibragim Magomedov

Ibragim Magomedov is a Russian mixed martial artist, whose height is and weight is 112.7 kg .Born in Makhachkala, Dagestan on June 8, 1972, Magomedov made his MMA debut in 2000 at Samurai 2000 Tournament where he defeated the Japanese fighter Ryushi Yanagisawa.After being discovered by Satoru...

by TKO in 51 seconds, after Magomedov was close to knocking Emelianenko out but, in the punching exchange, Emelianenko managed to cut Magomedov near his right eye, which promted the referee to stop the fight after the ring doctor checked the injury.

Emelianenko was slated to compete on in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

at the event Fighting Mixed Combative 2 against Bulgarian

Bulgarians

The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...

Sambo practitioner Blagoi Ivanov

Blagoi Ivanov

|-| Win| 5-0 | Zak Jensen| Technical submission | Bellator 52| |align=center| 2|align=center| 2:35|Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States| Bellator Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal|-| Win| 4–0 | William Penn| TKO...

, who had defeated Emelianenko's brother Fedor in the 2008 World Sambo Championships

2008 World Sambo Championships

The 2008 World Sambo Championships was held in St. Petersburg, Russia on 13 to 17 of November, 2008.This tournament included competition in both sport Sambo, and Combat Sambo....

, but Ivanov injured his hands in a previous match against Kazuyuki Fujita

Kazuyuki Fujita

is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....

, which left the event date in the air, so Emelianenko decided to withdraw from the event altogether.

After a year without professional MMA matches, Emelianenko's next fight was on at ProFC: Commonwealth Cup against Swedish

Swedes

Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...

wrestler

Amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...

Eddy Bengtsson

Eddy Bengtsson is a Swedish wrestler who competed in the Men's Greco-Roman 120 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Eddy has since retired from wrestling and competes in many grappling tournaments, as well as mixed martial arts competition...

, who Emelianenko defeated by TKO in a strange ending after Bengtsson fell down apparently with a light punch. Emelianenko founded his own training team, AE Team, which he started to present in his fight against Bengtsson.

A month later, on at the event Azerbaijan vs. Europe organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Pankration Federation (APF) and held in Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

, Emelianenko defeated Serbian

Serbs

The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...

fighter Miodrag Petkovic

Miodrag petkovic

Miodrag S. Petković is a mathematician and computer scientist. He graduated in Computer Science in 1972 and gained his PhD in Mathematics in the area of Interval analysis...

by TKO (punches) in the first round.

KSW controversy

During , Emelianenko was in talks with Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

promotion KSW (Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki) for a possible match up against strongman

Strongman (strength athlete)

In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...

Mariusz Pudzianowski

Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

and reached a verbal agreement. But on KSW co-owner Maciej Kawulski stated in a Polsat News

Polsat News

Polsat News is a Polish news channel, launched on 7 June 2008 at 7:00 AM . Being a part of the Polsat Network, Polsat News is owned by Polsat Group. It is available over Cyfrowy Polsat, Cyfra+ and UPC Poland digital platforms in Poland...

interview that Emelianenko would likely not fight in KSW, claiming that Emelianenko had Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...

.
Emelianenko denied this and demanded an apology from KSW. During the controversy, a previous opponent of Emelianenko claimed that he believed that Emelianenko had Hepatitis B, not C.

On , Polish MMA promotion Strefa Walk decided to make public the results of medical tests reportedly taken by Emelianenko. These tests are claimed to show that he had none of the varieties of hepatitis

Viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation due to a viral infection. It may present in acute or chronic forms. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Hepatitis E...

and, thus, was fit to fight for the promotion. There has not since been independent verification of the tests results or recognition of the results by independent licensing agencies.

Strefa Walk

After the controversy, Strefa Walk announced a fight between Emelianenko and Strikeforce

Strikeforce

Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...

champion Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem

Alistair Cees Overeem is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Interim Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat...

, which Bas Boon, head of Golden Glory

Golden Glory

Golden Glory is a Muay Thai, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts camp, as well as a management team based in the Netherlands. With their primary fighter roster based out of Europe, Golden Glory has managed fighters from all over the world, such as American former team member, Heath Herring.Golden...

, confirmed to a Polish MMA website that it was in negotiations, but a few days later Overeem announced on Twitter

Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

that he was not going to fight Emelianenko.

On , Strefa Walk held a press conference

News conference

A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...

in which it was officially announced that Emelianenko would face Austrian

Austrians

Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....

fighter Chris Mahle in the main event of Strefa Walk M&W: Emelianenko vs Mahle in Łódź, Poland

Poland

on . On Strefa Walk announced that the date of the bout of Emelianenko's bout with Mahle was changed to .

Before his fight with Mahle, Emelianenko faced Australian kickboxer Peter Graham

Peter Graham (kickboxer)

Peter "The Chief" Graham is an Australian kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. His enterance music is AC/DC's Thunderstruck andhe has trademarked his special moves like his somersault kick, The Rolling Thunder.-Kickboxing:...

on , being defeated by Graham via TKO in the second round after Graham connected several low kicks that rendered Emelianenko unable to continue the fight.

On it was announced that Emelianenko's bout with Mahle was postponed to an unspecified later date due to the injury that Emelianenko received during his fight with Peter Graham.

Emelianenko's will face Magomed Malikov at M-1 Challenge XXVIII on November 12, 2011 in Astrakhan, Russia.

Boxing career

On , Emelianenko made his professional boxing debut against Hizir Pliev, an army boxing champion from Ingushetia

Ingushetia

The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...

who was also making his professional debut, in a fight that ended in a draw

Tie (draw)

To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...

Personal life

Emelianenko moved from his native city, Stary Oskol, to Saint Petersburg in 2003 where he met his future wife. Before moving out of Stary Oskol, Emelianenko regularly trained with his brother Fedor, although they still train together occasionally.

Emelianenko married his wife, Olga, on . The couple has two daughters, Polina, who was born in 2007 and another daughter from Olga's previous relationship, Xenia (nicknamed Ksyusha), the elder sister by 8 years.

Originally a member of Red Devil Sport Club

Red Devil Sport Club

after he and his brother Fedor left Russian Top Team, Emelianenko is currently at odds with Red Devil Sport Club's and Fedor's manager Vadim Finkelstein.

In an interview published on , his brother Fedor, in response to a direct question, confirmed that Aleksander had spent time in a prison after he was sentenced to 5 years, but was released after 3.5 years. Aleksander, however, has several times denied ever spending time in jail, including in an interview published on in the same publication where his brother commented about the issue. Some commentators have put in doubt Emelianenko's prison time because of Japan's strict immigration policy against convict

Convict

A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...

ed felons

Felony

A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...

, which normally would not allow him to fight in Japan as he has done, while others point out that some of his tattoo

Tattoo

A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...

s are an indication that he spent some time in jail, although some of his tattoos would indicate a status which he could not achieve at the time of his imprisonment for being too young.

Emelianenko has studied English and, in 2003, he enrolled himself in economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

courses at the Belgorod State University

Belgorod State University

Belgorod State University is one of the oldest universities in Belgorod, Russia....

from which he graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

.

Emelianenko has several tattoos on his body and claims that they do not really have a meaning for him, he just likes them as a hobby.

Emelianenko likes to practice hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

and has said that he killed a bear

Bear

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...

by trapping its head with a fork-like staff and stabbing it in the heart with a knife, a traditional but not common way of Russian bear hunting.

After the 2008 South Ossetia Conflict he went to South Ossetia

South Ossetia

South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....

to train in preparation for his bout against Sang Soo Lee, in a sign of solidarity with the Ossetian people.

In a controversy apparently sparked by Emelianenko's tattoos, a story shown in Russian channel NTV on presented Emelianenko as a Russian nationalist

Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

, equated with Roman Zentsov

Roman Zentsov

Roman Zentsov is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter who has competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, a major MMA organization based in Japan, and BodogFIGHT...

, which Emelianenko quickly denied, stating that he was only engaged in the development of MMA in his country, with no political motivations, especially for extremist groups.

TV appearances

Emelianenko has made some appearances in TV shows, including a Korean comedy show and Russia Channel One

Channel One (Russia)

Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...

's show Big Races where he participated and lost two teeth in a competition against a bull

Bull

Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

in 2010.

Emelianenko also participated as one of the protagonists, along with fellow MMA fighter Julia Berezikova

Julia Berezikova

Julia Berezikova is a Russian female mixed martial artist and boxer.-Background:Berezikova was born on in Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai , Russia....

and other Russian athletes, in the 2010 Russian TV series starring Yevgeni Sidikhin

Yevgeni Sidikhin

- Biography :Yevgeni Sidikhin was born in Leningrad , Russia, in 1964. He studied martial arts and boxing since the 4th grade and was a five-time champion in the City of Leningrad. After high school he was accepted into the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music, and Cinematography . ...

, Olympic Village.

Mixed martial arts record

Astrakhan

Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...

Peter Graham (kickboxer)

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located some from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia...

, Russia
| Special rules allowing 30 seconds on the ground.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 17-3
| Miodrag Petkovic

Miodrag petkovic

Miodrag S. Petković is a mathematician and computer scientist. He graduated in Computer Science in 1972 and gained his PhD in Mathematics in the area of Interval analysis...

Baku

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16-3
| Eddy Bengtsson

Eddy Bengtsson

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Russia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15-3
| Ibragim Magomedov

Ibragim Magomedov

Rostov-on-Don

-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

, Russia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14-3
| Sang Soo Lee

Sang Soo Lee

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12-3
| Dan Bobish

Dan Bobish

Calgary

, Canada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11-3
| Jessie Gibbs

Jessie Gibbs

Jessie Gibbs is a Dutch mixed martial artist, who fights in the heavyweight division. Has a notable wins over the UFC fighters Branden Lee Hinkle, Rob Broughton and Denis Stojnic.-Biography:...

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10-3
| Eric Pele

Eric Pele

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

Fabricio Werdum

Rotterdam

PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute

Pride Final Conflict Absolute was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on September 10, 2006.-Background:...

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

Josh Barnett

| Submission (keylock)
| Pride Total Elimination Absolute

PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute

Pride Total Elimination Absolute was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 5, 2006.-Background:...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:57
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8-1
| Pawel Nastula

Pawel Nastula

| Submission (rear naked choke)
| Pride Shockwave 2005

PRIDE Shockwave 2005

Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7-1
| Rene Rooze

Rene Rooze

Rotterdam

, Netherlands
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6-1
| Ricardo Morais

Ricardo Morais

Ricardo "The Mutant" Morais is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist, who competed in Pride Fighting Championships, Jungle Fight, and Rings - MMA...

| KO (punches)
| Pride Bushido 6

PRIDE Bushido 6

Pride Bushido 6 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on April 3, 2005...

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5-1
| James Thompson

James Thompson (fighter)

James Thompson is an English mixed martial artist. He fights as a heavyweight and has appeared in such promotions as Elite Xtreme Combat , Pride Fighting Championship, and Cage Rage. He is known for rushing his opponents at the start of the bout.-Biography:James Thompson grew up in Rochdale,...

| KO (punches)
| Pride 28

PRIDE 28

Pride 28: High Octane was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on October 31, 2004.- Heath Herring vs. Hirotaka Yokoi:...

Saitama, Saitama

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

Mirko Filipovic

| KO (head kick)
| Pride Final Conflict 2004

PRIDE Final Conflict 2004

Pride Final Conflict 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event held the final round of the 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament...

Saitama, Saitama

PRIDE Bushido 3

Pride Bushido 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on May 23, 2004. The fight card was highlighted by three fights between Team Gracie and Team Japan....

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:16
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2-0
| Angelo Araujo
| TKO (cut)
| Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003

Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003

Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003: Inoki Festival was a mixed martial arts and kickboxing event promoted by Antonio Inoki on December 31, 2003 at the Kobe Wing Stadium in Kobe, Japan. It was the follow-up to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001 and Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2002...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:28
| Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1-0
| Assuerio Silva

Assuerio Silva

| Decision (2-1)
| Pride Bushido 1

PRIDE Bushido 1

PRIDE Bushido 1 was a mixed martial arts event held by the PRIDE Fighting Championships. The card was billed as Team Japan Vs. Team Gracie, with five events represented by both a "coach" Hidehiko Yoshida fighter and a "coach" Royce Gracie fighter . It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in...

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan
|

Professional boxing record

|- style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:100%;"
|align="center" colspan=8|0 Wins (0 knockouts), 0 Losses, 1 Draws

Result	Record	Opponent	Method	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Draw	0-0-1	Hizir Pliev	Draw (majority)		4 (4)	3:00	Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

Championships and accomplishments

1999 European sports sambo champion
2003 World combat sambo champion
2004 World combat sambo champion
2006 World combat sambo champion

External links

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