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Alexander Shlemenko was criticized for his social media rant calling on Central Asians to publicly admonish criminals from their native homelands.
Earlier this week, Alexander Shlemenko made headlines following a social media rant targeted at Central Asian migrants in the Russian Federation.
It began when the former Bellator champion, known for his vocal opposition to alcohol in his native Omsk, took to Instagram to address a recent crime that went viral in Russia. Five men who were later identified as Uzbek migrants assaulted two men and robbed them of their belongings. The assailants were later arrested.
Shlemenko shared the footage of the attack before calling on all Central Asian migrants and residents in Russia to “admonish” their “countrymen.”
“I know there are normal and well-educated migrants. I would like to speak to them: admonish your stupid countrymen. Explain that any negative act of theirs casts a shadow on you all. Not to mention such an act as in the video. I recommend everyone be very careful, friends. “
The longtime fighter was later criticized in the media for inciting ethnic tension against Central Asian migrants and for holding entire communities responsible for the actions of a handful of petty criminals.
Shlemenko is yet to apologize.