Alexander Vladimirovich Emelianenko (or Yemelianenko; Russian: Александр Владимирович Емельяненко, romanized: Aleksandr Vladimirovich Emel'janenko, IPA: [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪˈlʲjænʲɪnkə]; born 2 August 1981) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He is a three-time Russian national Combat Sambo champion and three-time world Combat Sambo champion in the absolute division. He is a younger brother of Fedor Emelianenko.
Aleksander was born on (1981-08-02)2 August 1981 in Stary Oskol, Soviet Union, into the family of a teacher, Olga Feodorovna Emelianenko, and a welder, Vladimir Alexanderovich Emelianenko. He is the third child in the family and has an older sister, Marina, an older brother, Fedor, and a younger brother, Ivan.
In his childhood, since his parents were working during the day, Aleksander spent a lot of time on the rough streets. During his early teens, he used to take part in street fights while his parents were working, going so far as being involved in a riot between neighborhoods.
Since his family did not have enough money, his mother used to prepare only a single meal for the entire week for Emelianenko and his brothers and he had to share clothing with his older brother.
Initially studying to become an electrician at the vocational school, Emelianenko finished his studies in 1999 as an electric welder after he was transferred several times to other technical specialties for bad behavior.
When he was a teenager, while his brother Fedor was in the Russian Army, his parents separated and, since then, Emelianenko has had a strained relationship with his father, with whom he rarely speaks.
Emelianenko started martial arts training at a very early age: his older brother, Fedor, often had to babysit him, and since Fedor did not want to miss his Sambo practice, he took young Alexander with him. At first, Emelianenko only observed the older kids, but soon he started mimicking their movements. He started his formal Sambo training when he joined elementary school, training with Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov.
Emelianenko would go on to practice Judo, Wrestling, and Boxing, and he also participated in other sports like Basketball and Football. At 16 years old, when he was in training school, his mother forbade him from training boxing but Emelianenko kept doing it in secret.
Also at 16 years old, Emelianenko became a Russian Master of Sport in judo.
In 1999, Emelianenko won the European Sambo championships.
In 2003 he won the World Combat Sambo championships and repeated this feat in 2004 and 2006.
In 2010, during 19–22 February, Emelianenko took part in the Russian Cup of Combat Sambo representing Saint Petersburg, winning the heavyweight tournament (his brother Fedor injured his hand during the tournament) and earning the right to represent Russia at the World Championships.
Emelianenko participated in sambo at Sportaccord Combat Games 2010 in Beijing, where he won the silver medal in the +100 kg category.
Emelianenko has famously said of his fighting prowess, "My punches are like electric trains, if I miss, my opponent would catch a cold."
One of the youngest fighters to debut in Pride Fighting Championships at 22 years old, on 5 October 2003 at the event Pride Bushido 1, Emelianenko made his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut against Brazilian Assuério Silva, defeating Silva by split decision.
In his next fight on 31 December 2003, Emelianenko fought against Brazilian fighter Angelo Araujo at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 Inoki Festival, defeating Araujo by TKO after Emelianenko cut Araujo above the right eye and the doctor stopped the fight.
At PRIDE Bushido 3 on 23 May 2004, Emelianenko defeated Australian Matt Foki via rear naked choke in the first round.
In his fourth professional fight, Emelianenko was defeated in the first round via KO (head kick) by Mirko Cro Cop, one of the top heavyweight contenders in MMA at the time, at Pride Final Conflict 2004 on 15 August 2004.