MMA fighter and professional boxer Aleksandr Emelianenko has been awarded the title of Honoured Worker of Physical Culture of the Republic of Ingushetia, despite his previous conviction for sexual violence.
The decree was signed by the head of the region, Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov. The document states that the award was granted ‘for contribution to the development of physical culture and sports in the republic, as well as for personal achievements in training athletes’.
The award ceremony took place at the government of Ingushetia. The award was presented to the athlete by Ingushetia’s Deputy Prime Minister Magomed Evloev, who thanked Emelianenko for his work.
‘We appreciate your work and dedication to the development of sport. Thanks to your efforts, many young people receive motivation to engage in physical culture and achieve high results’, Evloev said.
Officials in Ingushetia did not specify in which particular projects and programmes Emelianenko had taken part in, or what activities he had carried out in the republic. Statements from the authorities only noted that in recent years, Emelianenko had interacted with local sports organisations and participated in events aimed at promoting martial arts.
Emelianenko is a well-known figure in Russian MMA circles. He participated in 39 professional MMA bouts during his sporting career, winning 29 of them. He has also cooperated with several fighting organisations, including the Chechen fight club Akhmat, and has competed in boxing and sambo, becoming a European sambo champion.
Outside of his sporting achievements, however, Emelianenko has been convicted of sexual violence and has been held administratively liable on multiple other charges.
In May 2015, the Simonovsky District Court in Moscow found Emelianenko guilty in a case of sexualised violence against his housekeeper, sentencing him to four and a half years in prison.
In November 2016, Emelianenko was released early: the unserved part of his sentence was replaced with correctional labour. Russian media noted at the time that this had not been Emelianenko’s first conviction, though it is unclear what other crimes he had been sentenced to before.
After his release, Emelianenko was several times brought to administrative responsibility. In particular, he was punished for a road traffic accident that he caused while intoxicated, as well as for a breach of public order during an incident at a recreation centre in Anapa, where, according to police reports, he staged a drunken disturbance.
Emelianenko is the younger brother of Fedor Emelianenko, one of the most decorated Russian MMA fighters. Fedor Emelianenko is a four-time world champion and nine-time Russian sambo champion who, from 2003 to 2010, was recognised by a number of leading sports publications as one of the strongest MMA fighters in the heavyweight division.
In December 2019, Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, challenged Aleksandr Emelianenko to a fight. The general secretary of the Russian Boxing Federation, Umar Kremlev, then announced his readiness to organise such a bout. In response, Emelianenko posted a message on social media with the words ‘Akhmat is strength!’. Two months later, he published photographs and videos of his ‘training bout’ with Kadyrov.
