Behind the Iron Curtain: A Look at Aleksander Emelianenko

Sherdog has part one of a piece about Aleksander Emelianenko up.  Here's the introduction paragraph:

When you are in the same profession and he's more accomplished and better known, it's hard to stand in the spotlight unobstructed, as your own man. Side by side, the achievements that you've worked your whole life for, that you've gone through hell for in order to become a better person are less dazzling, less impressive when compared to his. You have less say in your fighting future, less media attention when he's caught in a perpetual avalanche of flash bulbs and microphones. You're fighting on the televised undercard when he's headlining the pay-per-view.

If Fedor is Superman then Aleksander is his DC brother Batman.  The elder Emelianenko, virtually unbeaten in his professional fighting career, always appears in public with a grin on his face emitting the friendly aura of a man who can seem to do no wrong.  Aleks, on the other hand, has a body inked up with ghoulish tattoos.  He is a man widely known around MMA circles for spending time in the Russian penal system as a result of an armed robbery conviction.  He fights under the shadow of his larger-than-life older brother.

Aleksander's story is so intriguing for all its dark complexity.   In this article, part one of a presumably two or three piece set, Emelianenko discusses life growing up in Stary Oskol, Russia.  He touches on his time in school, his early sports training, and the abandonment of his father.  The interviewer seems to have purposely avoided discussing Fedor, a trend I hope continues in the next volumes.

This is an absolutely wonderful look into one of the more mysterious characters in MMA.  Aleksander is open and honest about his upbringing, with wondeful stories about gang warfare in his teens and lying to his mother about going to boxing training.  Highly recommend for anyone with more than a passing interest in the sport.

Check out Aleksander's last 3 fights after the break.

Aleksander Emelianenko vs Silvio Santos * M-1 Challenge * (via paradiso2k)

Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Dan Bobish (via JulzOwnz)

Aleksander Emelianenko vs Jessie Gibson (via Arauss)