Alexander Emelianenko

Name: Alexander Emelianenko
Alias: The Grim Reaper
Birth Name: Александр Владимирович Емельяненко
Hometown: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Birthplace: Stary Oskol, Russia
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 192cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Bare Knuckle: Record

Biography

Alexander Emelianenko was born in Stary Oskol, Russia in a family of a teacher, Olga Feodorovna Emelianenko, and a welder, Vladimir Alexandrovich Emelianenko. Alexander is the third child in the family and has an older sister, Marina, an older brother, Fedor, and a younger brother, Ivan (born 1988). Fedor is the reigning WAMMA heavyweight champion, while Ivan is currently in training.

Alexander started martial arts training at a very early age: his older brother, Fedor, often had to babysit him, and since Fedor didn't want to miss his Sambo practice, he took young Aleksander with him. At first Alexander only observed the older kids, but soon he started mimicking their movements and doing pull-ups and push-ups. Alexander started his formal Sambo training when he joined elementary school, but by that time his peers were already no match for him. Alexander trained with his childhood Sambo coach, Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov, and his brother Fedor, until June 2006.

In an interview, his brother Fedor confirmed that Alexander had spent time in a prison for robbery. Aleksander was sentenced to 5 years but was released after 3.5 years.

His MMA career in North America has stalled due to work permit problems resulting from his inability to pass the medical licensing requirements.

Personal Life

Alexander married his wife, Olga, on September 4, 2004. The couple resides in Saint Petersburg and have a daughter, Olya, who was born in September 2007. The couple is expecting their second child, a boy. Alexander has an older daughter named Ksyusha from a previous relationship.

Emelianenko has claimed that he killed a bear by trapping its head with a fork-like staff and stabbing it in the heart with a knife. This is a traditional, but not common, way of Russian bear hunting.

Alexander's tattoos are a constant source of questions from his fans and journalists. Alexander explained their meaning in his interview on Fedor Emelianenko official website.

Tattoos

• Right arm: Cathedral with five domes: symbolizes five years of imprisonment
• Shoulders: Stars: Symbolize a "career criminal" or "Vor v Zakone" in Russian (English translation: thief in law).
• Shoulders: More recently he has covered up the Stars with Clouds
• Left shoulder: cobweb: Alexander did not explain its meaning other than saying that contrary to what has been suggested by some, it does not have anything to do with the Mafiya. In Russian prisons, tattoos using this symbol typically denote drug addiction or robbery
• Chest: The Battle of Kulikovo
• Left shoulder: Russian script
• Left forearm: Half cat's head, half skull: "Homo homini lupus est". Translated: Man is a wolf to his fellow-man
• Back: Grim Reaper holding a baby
• Back: "Gott Mit Uns", meaning "God is with us" in German: for Alexander, it's a symbol of revival. This tattoo caused a controversy, since this slogan was written on belt buckles of German soldiers in the Third Reich. For many Russian prisoners the phrase means you are totally opposed to the soviet penal system. This phrase was very popular among prisoners during the 60's and 70's
• Knees: Stars: symbolize that the owner will never be brought to his knees. These tattoos also stirred up controversy, after a picture published on his website revealed a swastika in the middle
• Pirate tattoo: stands for article 167 of Russian Criminal Code: "armed robbery"
• "Fortis fortuna adiuvat" Translated: Fortune favors the bold
• A name on his lower abs ('Marina'). Later covered by a tribal tattoo
• A spider web on scalp

MMA

Total 15 Wins 3 Losses 18 matches (T)Knockout 9 1 Submission 4 2 Decision 2 0 Draw 0 No Contest 0

Record Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location

• 15-3 Win Ibragim Magomedov TKO (Cut) ProFC - Russia vs. Europe 2009-03-29 1 0:51 Rostov-on-Don, Russia
• 14-3 Win Sang Soo Lee KO (Punch) M-1 Challenge 9 2008-11-21 1 2:40 St. Petersburg, Russia
• 13-3 Win Silvio Santos TKO (Punches) M-1 Challenge 2008-04-03 1 2:10 St. Petersburg, Russia
• 12-3 Win Dan Bobish Submission (Guillotine Choke) Hardcore Championship Fighting: Title Wave 2007-10-19 1 1:09 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 11-3 Win Jessie Gibbs Submission (Kimura) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. Europe 2007-07-21 1 1:13 St. Petersburg, Russia
• 10-3 Win Eric Pele KO (Punch) BodogFight 2 2007-04-14 1 4:07 St. Petersburg, Russia
• 9-3 Loss Fabricio Werdum Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) 2H2H-Pride & Honor 2006-11-12 1 3:24 Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 9-2 Win Sergei Kharitonov TKO (Strikes) PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute 2006-09-10 1 6:45 Saitama, Japan
• 8-2 Loss Josh Barnett Submission (Americana) PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute 2006-05-05 2 1:57 Osaka, Japan
• 8-1 Win Pawel Nastula Submission (Rear Naked Choke) PRIDE Shockwave 2005 2005-12-31 1 8:45 Saitama, Japan
• 7-1 Win Rene Rooze KO Bushido Rotterdam Rumble 2005-10-09 1 0:28 Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 6-1 Win Ricardo Morais KO (Punches) PRIDE Bushido 6 2005-04-03 1 0:15 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
• 5-1 Win James Thompson KO PRIDE 28 2004-10-31 1 0:11 Saitama, Japan
• 4-1 Win Carlos Barreto Decision M-1 MFC Middleweight GP 2004-10-09 1 1:32 St. Petersburg, Russia
• 3-1 Loss Mirko Filipovic KO (Head Kick) PRIDE Final Conflict 2004 2004-08-15 1 2:09 Saitama, Japan
• 3-0 Win Matt Foki Submission (Rear Naked Choke) PRIDE Bushido 3 2004-05-23 1 3:16 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
• 2-0 Win Angelo Araujo TKO (Cut) Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 Inoki Festival 2003-12-31 2 4:28 Kobe, Japan
• 1-0 Win Assuerio Silva Decision (Split) Pride Bushido 1 2003-10-05 2 5:00 Saitama, Japan

Boxing

Alexander Emelianenko made his professional boxing pro debut on October 3, 2009, in Moscow in Edmund Lipinski Memorial Tournament, where he fought to a majority decision draw over 4 rounds against Russian military amateur heavyweight champion Khizir Pliev.