Brother of MMA legend volunteers for Ukraine conflict
The younger brother of Russian MMA fighters Fedor and Aleksandr Emelianenko has passed a medical examination and will join the Russian military operation in Ukraine, according to one of his siblings.
Aleksandr Emelianenko said that his brother Ivan, 34, had signed up to serve his country as a volunteer.
“Ivan will be sent as a volunteer under contract. I know that he’s already passed a medical examination. When exactly he’ll go, I can’t say,” Emelianenko told Match TV.
In additional comments to RBC Sport, Emelianenko clarified that personally he was not eligible for mobilization but would serve if need be.
“I am not eligible for military service, I wasn’t called up,” said the 41-year-old.
“If the Motherland calls me to defend the borders, I’ll go. I just didn’t serve in the army. My brother served in the special forces, so he volunteered.”
Aleksandr Emelianenko and elder brother Fedor have amassed almost 100 professional MMA bouts between them during their respective careers.
Known as ‘The Last Emperor’, former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko is widely considered among the greatest MMA heavyweights – if not the greatest – of all-time.
The 46-year-old is still in talks with Bellator MMA regarding a potential swansong bout, which was originally tipped to take place in Moscow’s Red Square before the conflict with Ukraine erupted.
Speaking about the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month that the country would partially mobilize around 300,000 reservists, the Lugansk-born Fedor Emelianenko said he was “slightly shocked” that anyone would attempt to dodge the draft.
Younger sibling Ivan was once tipped for his own MMA career and has boxing and combat Sambo experience. He has also worked in private security, according to RBC.
Elsewhere in Russian MMA, prominent middleweight fighter Vladimir Mineev revealed last month that he had received a draft summons and was planning to join the armed forces in November, having previously served as a paratrooper.
