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Alex Emelianenko Describes His Time In Russian Prison

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The date is October 31, 2004, and a young Alexander Emelianenko begins to step out of the shadow of his older brother. Just one year and five fights in to his MMA career, the younger brother of Fedor would take on James Thompson in a match up typical of the Pride FC era. ‘Colossus’ is a giant of a man, and appeared enraged as they stared down in the ring. Charging across the ring as the fight started, Thompson got himself caught by a clean punch to the jaw. Emelianenko’s hand was raised, and the Englishman was subdued in just 11 seconds. 10 years later, Emelianenko’s fighting career was in ruins.

No longer competing against the world’s elite, Alex lost a highly suspicious TKO to Dmitriy Sosnovskiy in January 2014. Although his last competition to date, this was by far from Emelianenko’s last fight. The Sambo specialist was first accused of assaulting an old man in a Moscow cafe, later settling out of court, before the real drama started. Brought up on charges of kidnapping and rape, Alex’s dark side had begun to catch up with him. Disregard his allegedly gang-related tattoos, forget about accusations he was fighting with Hepatitis C, Emelianenko was facing hard time.

Photo Credit: RIA Novosti/Vitaliy Belousov

Sentence

On May 19, 2015, Alexander Emelianenko was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. Denying he’d drugged and raped the 27-year old house maid who’d accused him, Alex was sent behind bars until 2020. As things turned out, he’d serve less than 18 months, being released on parole this past October for good behaviour. Since being freed, Emelianenko has said he wants to fight again as soon as possible, and still denies the charges he served time for. During an interview with Riavrn.ru, as quoted by BloodyElbow.com, Emelianenko describes life as it was for him in a Russian prison:

“We are two people in a cell,” Emelianenko explained. “There’s the usual, ordinary people and are constantly changing. At first it was uncomfortable. But then you get used to it and you feel normal. We started doing athlete programs together.”

Squats & Push Ups

“The days are absolutely similar. Due to the limited closed space there is nothing for a person to occupy themselves. And so – nothing happens. I read books like “Faust.” When I was alone, from idleness, I began to do squats and push-ups. Had time to do more than 300 squats but I didn’t want to sweat because there was no place to bathe in the chamber. At the prison, you could go to the gym for an extra charge. I went every day.”

Referring to his alleged kidnapping and rape charges, Emelianenko said it was a ‘consensual’ encounter. However you view it, the younger brother of one of the greatest heavyweights ever is now a free man. He will still have to do ‘two years and 23 days’ of hard labour, but insists this won’t hinder him from fighting very soon:

“I do not care with whom I fight,” Emelianenko told MatchTV. “I want to be prepared to meet with the organizers and face foreign athletes. Why should Russians fight each other?”

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King Mo vs. Mirko Cro Cop Set For Rizin Grand Prix

Owned by former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Rizin FF has been steadily gathering talent over the last year. Unfortunately their debut event last December proved to be lacklustre at best, as MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko returned against MMA newcomer Jaideep Singh. That said, the promotion provided a nostalgic feel with their outlandish entrances, overall

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Included on that list were fierce rivals Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva. Sharing a duo of fights under the Pride banner, Cro Cop and Silva quickly engaged in beef after Filipovic’s successful debut back in September. Then came the news that Silva was unable to compete, citing the need for more time to recover from recent injuries. Needless to say, Cro Cop was not impressed, and unleashed a furious rant about his old foe.

King Mo Steps In

Last night it was confirmed by MMAJunkie.com that Muhammed Lawal would step in to replace Wanderlei Silva. The quarter finals of the openweight grand prix is set for December 29, with the semi finals and finals both taking place on New Year’s Eve. King Mo has lost just one of his last eight bouts, and won the heavyweight GP for Rizin last year. Cro Cop is unbeaten in four fights, and recently avenged his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga before joining Rizin FF.

Also being replaced on December 29 is former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin. The heavy-handed knockout artist came out of retirement to Join Rizin, but was later scratched due to injury, Replacing ‘The Engineer’ against Amir Aliakbari is another familiar face from the Pride FC days. Heath Herring fights for the first time since losing to Brock Lesnar in 2008, replacing Carwin on December 29. Long considered one of the best heavyweights in the world until around 2002, Herring holds a 28-14 (1 NC) record.

Rizin FF Quarter Finals Matches

Venue: Saitama Super Arena, Japan

Date: Rizin FF 3 December 29 (QF), Rizin FF 4 December 31 (SF/F)

QUARTERFINAL STAGE:
MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC VS. KING MO ~~WANDERLEI SILVA~~
“BARUTO” VS. TSUYOSHI KOSAKA
~~SHANE CARWIN~~ HEATH HERRING VS. AMIR ALIAKBARI
VALENTINE MOLDAVSKY VS. SZYMON BAJOR

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UFC Belt Or Not, Dan Henderson Is A MMA Legend

Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could. A throwback to an earlier era of MMA

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Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could.

A throwback to an earlier era of MMA where fighters fought to compete rather than gather social media followers, “Hendo” went out with a bang by nearly finishing now-champ Bisping in the same fashion in which he so iconically did at 2009’s UFC 100. In the end, the 46-year-old Henderson was edged out by Bisping’s far superior aggression, striking volume, and accuracy, but the two “H-Bombs” that nearly put “The Count’s” lights out in the first and second round were more than enough for most Hendo fans to believe their man had done enough to win.

While that’s a tough proposition to do against the champion in his home (and in a fight where he rarely pushed the action), the once-named “Hollywood” made things as dramatic as ever, and that is why he will go down as one of the most revered fighters in UFC and MMA history.

His story is a unique one. After a Greco Roman wrestling career that twice saw him compete in the Summer Olympics, Henderson first fought in the UFC in only his third MMA fight, defeating Allan Goes by decision on May 15, 1998 before outlasting Carlos Newton on the same night to win the UFC 17 Middleweight Tournament Final. After a string of six decision wins in seven bouts saw him dubbed “Decision Dan,” Hendo refuted the notion by becoming “Hollywood” in Pride due to his highlight reel finishes.

There, he fought a who’s who of Japanese MMA at the time, winning the welterweight championship and defeating Wanderlei Silva for the middleweight belt to become the first simultaneous two-weight champion in Pride. He remains the only man to do so.

In the Octagon, Hendo never won the one title that eluded him, falling just short against elite fighters such as Anderson Silva, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Bisping. Obviously he did etch his name into UFC history with possibly the most infamous knockout ever for his one-punch decimation of Bisping at UFC 100.

He even left for Strikeforce after a contract dispute following his historic knockout of Bisping, becoming their 205-pound champion by knocking out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Henderson then knocked out arguably the best heavyweight of all-time when he floored Fedor Emelianenko in 2011.

That was enough for the UFC to re-sign him, and his third UFC run began with a fight that many feel may be the greatest MMA bout of all-time, his classic UFC 139 war with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. It was the kind of bouts fans came to love and respect from Henderson.

That fight lead to a light heavyweight champion to dominant then-champ Jon Jones, but the bout never happened when Henderson injured his knee and ‘Bones’ refused to fight anyone on short notice, leading to the the promotion’s first ever cancellation of an event with UFC 151.

Hendo never seemed to quite bounce back from the over yearlong layoff that resulted, dropping narrow, uninspired split decisions to Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans in 2013 before he was knocked out by the almost superhuman force of TRT-era Vitor Belfort (yes, it also deserves to be noted that Henderson was a pioneer of sorts of TRT use in MMA, being one of the first to secure a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the treatment).

His UFC run ended with seven losses in his last 10 bouts, but any MMA fan couldn’t help but forget all about those when Henderson rallied to knock out Hector Lombard with, of all things, a back-elbow, head kick, forearm smash combination at UFC 199. It was enough to get him a revenge-based title shot against Bisping despite the backlash due to the bout’s accused refusal to adhere to anything close to resembling a fair rankings system.

It happened, and Henderson and Bisping delivered a classic. True, Henderson came up just short, but even the Manchester fans gave him a rousing ovation after he nearly knocked out their famed hometown champion on more than one occasion.

Henderson was a throwback of MMA gone past who still brought the excitement needed to gain attention in today’s increasingly fast-paced, attention-starved world. There simply won’t be another fighter like him, and while he may not have had his hand raised every time, it was most certainly guaranteed you would be seeing a show.

“Hendo,” “Hollywood,” “Dangerous,” or even “Decision Dan,” Henderson was, is, and always will be an MMA legend. In his case, the UFC belt doesn’t prove or disprove that, yet he battled the only way he knew how to in one last war last with Bisping night.

We salute you Dan Henderson.

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Fedor Emelianenko ‘Closer Than Ever’ To Fighting In UFC

It’s been a long-traveled, winding road on the journey to all-time great former Pride champion Fedor Emelanenko fighting in the UFC, and it’s been one that’s ultimately ended without any fruit to bear. However, almost seven years after talks to have Fedor fight then-UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fell apart, there’s apparently more hope now

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However, almost seven years after talks to have Fedor fight then-UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fell apart, there’s apparently more hope now to seeing ‘The Last Emperor’ in the Octagon than there ever has been. Speaking through a translator to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour today (Mon., June 13, 2016), Emelianenko revealed that it’s a distinct possibility he’ll fight in the UFC, but a mutually beneficial deal would have to be reached between both sides:

“Yes. In a word, yes. That possibility does exist. I always wanted to fight for UFC and I would fight for UFC, but at this moment we’re looking at the deal and the deal has to satisfy both parties — them and my organization. Until there’s no friction, until we are 100 percent in terms of seeing eye-to-eye, we are all basically in limbo.”

There were some rumors that Fedor would somehow be the returning Lesnar’s opponent at the midsummer blockbuster UFC 200. Emelianenko confirmed that opportunity was never presented to him, but he would consider it if it was:

“All I wanted to say is for now we never received a proposal like that,” Emelianenko said. “But if somebody were to make that proposal, we’ll definitely look at it closely.”

The probability of him stepping into the Octagon was thought to be gone forever when Emelianenko retired in 2012, but after his return last New Year’s Eve, ‘The Last Emperor’ feels as if he’s back to reaching his prime fighting shape:

“I did get that feeling,” Emelianenko said. “I feel like I am back. A fighter is measured by the last fight. I’m looking forward to illustrate I am back in my usual form.”

Finally, Fedor stated that he was indeed closer than ever to making his UFC debut, and that an offer had been put on the tabe by Dana White & co. But he once again stressed the small details that he still had to hammer out with the promotion:

“Right now, I’m much closer compared to when I just came back to MMA. Yes, we did receive an offer. But there are some finer points that we wanted to discuss.”

With some small issues apparently left to discuss, at least there’s a small chance we see the man who many consider the best heavyweight of all-time set foot in the Octagon. But will it ever be more than the rumors we’ve been reading for years?

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Wanderlei Silva Reveals He Has Multiple Symptoms Of Brain Damage

This is sad to hear… Former Pride FC middleweight champion, UFC veteran and legendary Brazilian fight icon Wanderlei Silva has gone through the mill in the last two years. After his fighting career came to a grinding halt in March 2013, the battles continued outside the arena of combat for ‘The Axe Murderer,’ including a

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This is sad to hear…

Former Pride FC middleweight champion, UFC veteran and legendary Brazilian fight icon Wanderlei Silva has gone through the mill in the last two years. After his fighting career came to a grinding halt in March 2013, the battles continued outside the arena of combat for ‘The Axe Murderer,’ including a lengthy rivalry with the UFC and the Nevada Athletic Commission. After avoiding Nevada dope testers before his scheduled fight with Chael Sonnen after TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) Brazil 3, Silva was handed a lifetime ban by the commission, and so began his three year struggle.

The knockout artist who’d made his name in IVC and Pride back in the Japanese MMA days was now unable to make a living, and he began making his opposition to the UFC very clear. After UFC president Dana White made his feelings clear about Wandy, a feud was born between he two, with Silva even claiming he’d known about ‘fixed fights’ in the UFC during his time there.

053014-ufc-Wanderlei-Silva-2-pi-mp.vresize.1200.675.high.11[1] — Silva’s 2013 knockout win over Brian Stann is widely considered one of the most exciting UFC fights of all time…

Siva took to social media and released Youtube videos that damned the UFC’s practices and alleged maltreatment of their fighters. Unable to compete stateside and still locked in the air tight UFC contract he’d signed to, even the far east wasn’t an option at this stage. Finally a breakthrough came this year, as th promotion released their hold on Silva, allowing him to sign a contract with Bellator MMA and Rizin FF, but hs troubles weren’t over just yet.

Silva was ran down by a car while riding a bike in his native Curitiba, Brazil and required shoulder surgery as a result of the accident. Thankfully Wandy’s helmet saved his life, but it’s apparently spurred ‘The Axe Murderer’ to look a little deeper in to his brain’s health, and the results aren’t great.

Addressing fans on his official Instagram account, the 49-fight mixed martial arts veteran had a sombre message to deliver. He first pays tribute to the recently passed Kimbo Slice, before revealing he is suffering from 12 out of 15 symptoms of brain damage, including memory loss.

Rest in peace, first Randleman now Kimbo, I fear we do not know all the consequences caused by our profession, and the consequences on the body and mind, as I said to my friends who are pro fighters “This bid to forget things it is good, when you forget the bad things.” (jokes) The sad part is I attended a lecture about concussion (brain injury caused by impact) of 15 symptoms presented by the expert, I have 12! When u lose dehydrates liquid in the brain, much in increasing the chance of having severe brain damage as a result of the blows! “! It has several of my friends, it is very different from the old days” We are stuck half-mad “and now who will take care of us? Who have not saved some money, will go through difficulties unfortunately we do not have any help at all! All on our own!

At a time when legends like Mark Kerr have finally revealed the turmoil they’ve put their body through in the pursuit of glory, it really does make you think about the long term impact this sport can have. Perhaps we’ve only scratched the surface thus far, and although fighter safety has improved in all respects, this does little to help legends like Wanderlei Silva and many others who fought in the early years of MMA.

Silva’s Rizin FF/Bellator MMA debut is yet to be announced.

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Wanderlei Silva Run Over By Car While Riding His Bike

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Pride FC and UFC fan favorite Wanderlei Silva, although no longer fighting in the premier organizations, remains one of the most revered and followed characters in the sport of mixed martial arts. His stints in Pride during the Japanese MMA boom and also his classic UFC wars make ‘The Axe Murderer’ one of the most well known faces in the game. He also stood against the UFC in a drawn out battle before eventually being released from his contract to fight for Rizin FF this year.

The 39 year-old Brazilian has been in his fair share of brutal fights over the years, but his most recent bruiser happened on the way home from the gym. According to Wand’s official Facebook page, the feared striker was knocked down by a car as he rode his bike home from a training session.

Translation: Note: please be advised that the wand had an accident, where he was hit by a car when I was returning from bike to your house after a workout, with that over the shoulder and caused a lot goes through surgery today. We ask your prayers for our champion. Ascom

Terrible news for Wanderlei and his fans who were looking forward to seeing the Brazilian banger back in action by late summer. His former issues with the UFC have seen Silva out of fighting since his wild knockout win over Brian Stann in 2013, but his signing with former Pride boss Sakakibara’s Rizin FF meant we’d get to see Silva play out his twilight years where he originally made his name, in Japan.

Rumours of a long wished fight with Fedor Emelianenko will have to wait, as all we know at this stage is that Silva has undergone shoulder surgery following his accident.

We’ll keep you updated as any more news comes in.

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