Aleksander Emelianenko: I won't fight Fedya.

Very good Aleks interview after his fight in Kazakhstan. Talks about some previously unknown things like his brother Ivan's future and his fight with Fedor. Enjoy.

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The main attraction at the Almat MMA tournament was the heavyweight fighter and Combat Sambo champion Aleksander Ememlianenko, brother of the legendary Fedor Ememlianenko.

But unlike the Last Emperor, whom the entire Russia is ready to carry on their arms, Aleksander is a controversial personality. Some love him, others hate him. He is always the center of some scandal and his tattoos hint that he has spent some time at not so far away places, which Aleksander himself has strictly denied.

"It's complete nonsense. What is not written about me on the internet? On there I am a criminal and a skinhead... All this should not be believed."

Q: What about the stars, the cupola, the spider web and other, so called "criminal world" tattoos?

Aleks: Tattoos is my hobby. I get them so they protect me from evil spirits.

Q: Your tattoo "a man is a wolf to another man," is this one of your principals in life?

A: No, mind you! Don't hold these thoughts about me in your head.

Q: But you go into the ring with aggression?

A: No, aggression only interferes. It's important to step into the ring collected and cold blooded, so you can clearly follow directions of your corner. You can't be too inventive in a fight and God forbid, pay for some missed shot. You have to do what you always do in training.

Q: Can you explain you nickname "the Grim Reaper?"

A: I have just now found out about it. I opened the booklet and read it in there. I didn't come up with this. It's probably the label of fans.

Q: What happened in the Malikov fight? You lost by KO in 23 seconds, but came in in great shape.

A: I missed the sudden shot. I didn't even see it. This is heavyweight after all. Hands are minimally protected and the punches are always strong, precise and fast. It happens. We are talking to Malikov about a rematch. I think everyone understands what happened.

Q: Do you think it was just some happenstance?

A: You don't?

Q: Will you have enough time to recover from a KO?

A: Well, if I am here, then my health is perfectly fine.

Q: You and Fedor have lost to the Brazilian Fabricio Werdum. Is he really that good? Or just a not very comfortable style match up for the Emelianenko brothers?

A: No, he is very strong and a very good opponent. But I know the reason why I lost. I wasn't very ready. But now Werdum refuses to fight with either me or Fedor. I think he understands that we won't lose to him anymore.

Q: Aleksander, you are a sambist, European and World champion. Why do you mainly fight in stand up, when you can grapple so well?

A: I don't plan beforehand what happens in the fight and how it is finished. It all depends on the situation. I am a good boxer, I train with professional boxers and sometimes I even compete with them. My hands "fly" pretty well. If there is a chance to finish by KO then I punch, or a chance to finish by submission, I grapple. I feel the same standing and on the ground.

Q: Do you have any superstitions before a fight?

A: No, I am not superstitious, I am faithful.

Q: They say you converted to Islam?

A: No, this is the latest rumors. I do have a lot of friends who are Muslim. But I never changed my faith, I am Christian.

Q: Do you dedicate your victories to anyone? Does anyone inspire you?

A: I dedicate victories to my children, to the sport and to all people who watch us compete. Because if only I and let's say, your fighter Tolegen wanted this, then we would agree to meet at some gym. But we are working for you, the spectators.

Q: You probably earn a good living in MMA?

A: A sportsman thinks about the sport first. If you want to earn money you have to go into business. I get asked a lot "what do you like?" I like to spend money.

Q: Fedor said that you are more talented than him. You have another brother, Ivan, who also trains in MMA. Can you say that he is more talented than you?

A: No, Ivan is lazy. He doesn't want to train. We have every opportunity to teach him quite a lot. He wouldn't have to pave his own road into MMA, like Fedya and I. He could be correctly prepared without any injuries and he could be arranged to fight fighters at a good level. But Vanya still can't decide what to do with his life.

Q: Your first coach Vladimir Voronov said that you re very talented but lacking discipline.

A: When I asked Voronov this, he said he's never said it. All this is evil tongues. The press wants us to butt heads.

Q: Famous Russian fighter Sergei Kharitonov said that you are a a rowdy alcoholic and a drug addict.

A: Kharitonov doesn't hold any interest for me, neither as a sportsman, nor as a person.

Q: Would you like to fight him?

A: No, not interested. There are many other good fighters with whom I'd like to compete. I already went through Kharitonov. He is a ruined person.

Q: Does it bother you to always be compared to Fedor?

A: What is so bad about this? We are brothers. He is the older. I respect him and know my place. Everything is ahead for me. I am grateful for Fedor. He brought me into the sport and he helps me in everything.

Q: You have said you will never fight your brother in a ring or a cage. But I saw on the internet you were fighting in a tournament.

A: We have never fought at a tournament before and we didn't want to fight then either. But the organizers asked to put on a fight for the fans. I tell them: write first place for Fedor, second place to me, or else we don't perform. But they talked us into it. We didn't plan anything. We just came out and showed the level of our skill. The people didn't even understand that this was an exhibition. In training we work full strength, we wrestle and box. But fighting is wrong, we are brothers.

Aleksander Trofimov
translated by global-mma.com

Cool interview. Finally something about him. I like the way he didn't gave any excuses to his last loss too.

The only thing that bothers me is that story Sergei told. do you know anything about this stuff, brace?

Q: Do you think it was just some happenstance?

A: You don't?

The reporter must have changed his pants after that.

Sergei had a beef with Aleks a short while ago. I don't really know anything about it besides what was written.

Also, I am afraid Aleks may be past his prime. He didn't look very impressive in his last few fights. I wish he could get signed somewhere like Bellator and do one of their tourneys to see where he really stands. Someone should twitter Bellator to try to sign Aleks for a tourney, he won his last after all..

Good interview, I still don't think Alex has spent time in jail due to the fact that he was being able to fight in japan and acquire a japanese work visa. The japs are strict on background checks before they let you into their country. The only way the Sergei story would be true is if Alex really did come from a criminal background.....those guys really hate eachothers guts after their pride fight.....

The bad thing was to know Ivan is lazy. It would be great to have him fighting the "new breed" and destroying them to honor the Emelianenko name.

I must say I believed in many of these internet rumours about Aleks. In reality he´s probably a humble and normal person like his brother. I have as much tattoos as Aleks but I´m not a criminal or drug addict.

Johan Lofgren wrote:I must say I believed in many of these internet rumours about Aleks. In reality he´s probably a humble and normal person like his brother. I have as much tattoos as Aleks but I´m not a criminal or drug addict.

Interestingly enough, I have no tattoos but can't deny the last two.

Wolfman wrote:The bad thing was to know Ivan is lazy. It would be great to have him fighting the "new breed" and destroying them to honor the Emelianenko name.

Same here. When I read that I was very disappointed. Ivan has been a mystery for a long time and now we know what it is..

Is what Sergey speaks true? Is Aleks a drug abuser and alcoholic? He seems like a very disturbed individual...

^ Nobody really knows. Actually I am not really interested in the rematch either. What interests me the most is how Aleks would do in a Bellator tourney.

Bellator would be interesting...they like signing headcases - War Machine, Ron Sparks - so Aleks would be a nice fit...

haha, didn't they sign Miguel Falcao too?

Aleks may have a bad side to him. His upbringing was not the easiest and he went through a lot of hard times. But I think he is a decent person trying his best..

Cool interview. I have no idea who's side is true but I enjoy both of their fights. I hope Alexander makes a come back. He could have his rematch he mentioned, fight Monson, Rizzo, Ricco etc. I wouldn't even mind to see him fight Arlovski, Rogers, Sylvia. Mostly I just want him to look good again.

RussianTopTeam wrote:Good interview, I still don't think Alex has spent time in jail due to the fact that he was being able to fight in japan and acquire a japanese work visa. The japs are strict on background checks before they let you into their country. The only way the Sergei story would be true is if Alex really did come from a criminal background.....those guys really hate eachothers guts after their pride fight.....

It kind of depends a little bit. Technically this is more or less true I think, but they only really have access to Japanese criminal records, I believe.

Ivan could be sooooo good. toobad.

Does he have to Aids C? do we know now ?

^ No he is clean. A European promotion made his blood tests public a few months ago. Plus he trains with Fedor and his entire team in Holland and keeps getting fights on a regular basis. M-1 would not let him fight otherwise.

brace wrote:^ No he is clean. A European promotion made his blood tests public a few months ago. Plus he trains with Fedor and his entire team in Holland and keeps getting fights on a regular basis. M-1 would not let him fight otherwise.

good. i want him in bellator or UFC (to smash cans and leave )

That Hep C rumour is stupid. People believe anything they read on teh interwebz. Do people really think european promotions would let him fight with Hep C?

Michał wrote:Ivan could be sooooo good. toobad.

I never thought so, he's really small and skinny. He looks like Aleks with AIDS.

Maybe Ivan is getting cold feet because he has to live up to Fedor and Aleks. This is a lot of pressure and not for everyone..

Johan Lofgren wrote:That Hep C rumour is stupid. People believe anything they read on teh interwebz. Do people really think european promotions would let him fight with Hep C?

It's probably zuffa starting all of this nonsense. Everyone who hates M-1 always quote made up interviews to support their hate. Everything from Fedor has never fought anyone to Bigfoot using hypnosis on Fedor during their fight. It makes me made that 1. Zuffa is so corrupt and spreads BS and 2. People are so stupid they believe it.

^ it was started on the UG by someone at Paul Buentello's camp after Aleks couldn't fight him at Affliction, then propagated by MMA sites as legit news without any sources or proof.

I don't know why they were so bitter about it to smear Aleks. Buentello got an easier fight in Gary Goodridge and got paid pretty fuckin good by Affliction in their money-throwing prime..

brace wrote:Maybe Ivan is getting cold feet because he has to live up to Fedor and Aleks. This is a lot of pressure and not for everyone..

could be why Guram never came












(Guram must have crazy blue ballz )

I want to see Aleks fight for M-1 maybe take on take on Guram in the future for the belt.