Even in conditions of a temporary suspension of competitions due to the coronavirus, Alexander Emelianenko continues to attract the attention of both fans and journalists. This time, the Russian heavyweight challenged his compatriot Alexander Shlemenko and offered him a fight according to boxing rules. And this despite the fact that he has already planned a fight with Magomed Ismailov at the ACA 107 tournament, which was recently postponed to July 24 due to coronavirus.
“I came across a February article, where Shlemenko said that the people created a myth about my invincibility. Come out, beat. Even before the fight with Koklyaev, you were going to enter the ring with me, replace him if he was suddenly injured. Come on, Sasha, if you don’t ... (coward. - RT ), we will fight with you according to the rules of boxing. I will beat you. With pleasure, ”said Emelianenko in a video posted on his page on Instagram.
Apparently, we are talking about an interview with ex-Bellator middleweight champion in one Russian publication, in which he once again spoke harshly about Emelianenko. Then he truly stated that people came up with the myth of Alexander’s invincibility, noting that this is actually not the case.
It is noteworthy that in February, Shlemenko gave an interview to RT, in which he spoke rather harshly about Emelianenko. In particular, he touched on the topic of the namesake addiction to alcohol, and also expressed concern that young people would take an example from him. At the same time, he also noted that, with due regard, Alexander could become one of the best fighters in the world if he could cope with a craving for alcohol.
As expected, the ex-champion Bellator did not stand aside and responded to the attack of a compatriot. He stated that he was pleasantly surprised that the now-popular Emelianenko himself had called him to battle, after which he agreed to conduct a battle. The only condition for Shlemenko was that the fight will take place according to the rules of MMA, and not boxing.
“Because I'm not a boxer, first of all. Secondly, I want normal conditions for myself. And not just: they called you and they say how you will perform. MMA is my element, I fight in mixed martial arts. Just like Alexander. If he were a boxer - this is another question. And he is a heavyweight, weighs a lot of kilograms more. Although he did not specify, maybe he challenged me to box in the middle category? Then yes, it is interesting, ”Sport-Express quotes Shlemenko.
Emelianenko Jr. himself supported the idea of holding a fight according to the rules of mixed martial arts and explained in detail why he wanted to meet with Shlemenko.
“Generally no problem. By any rules, Shlemenko's choice ... I didn’t call Alexander. The people have some kind of misunderstanding. He shouted, declared that he was ready to beat me, poured a lot of dirt on me: “What if Mikhail is suddenly injured, let me go out instead, I will be the first contender for his replacement.” Since there is a pause with events, you can organize this fight. How they want to duel Nurmagomedov with Ferguson - without spectators. Let them sit at home, watch on TV, how I will beat him, ”said Emelianenko.
It is worth noting that in October the ex-Bellator champion really announced his readiness to replace Mikhail Koklyaev if the well-known powerlifter withdraws from the battle for any reason. True, he immediately made a reservation and said that he was joking, and also added that he would consider the match with Alexander exclusively within the octagon.
At the same time, Emelianenko did not forget about his future opponent - Magomed Ismailov, whom he should meet in late July. Over the past months, athletes regularly exchanged taunts at each other, and this time it was Alexander's turn. So, he doubted the speed of the vis-a-vis and called it a mistake to switch to heavy weight.
“The elephant on its legs moves faster than it shows its skills in the ring. Hang yourself ten kilograms in front, ten kilograms in the back and walk on your feet. So he distributed 20 kilograms over his body. It would be better if I didn’t gain weight, ”ACA press service quoted Emelianenko as saying.
According to Alexander, Magomed had experienced serious problems with endurance before, but now he is completely at risk of being exhausted within the first five minutes.
“Well, what will he do? Well, he will knock me down, well, he will hold the first round, then his bald head will fly like a pear bag. I give him the maximum chance to hold out the first round, ”concluded Emelianenko.
But if Alexander behaves extremely harshly with his opponents, then in relations with members of his team he has a real idyll. Returning to the Akhmat club was the right decision for Emelianenko - both in terms of training and in terms of environment. The athlete quickly gained excellent shape and made fans forget about their adventures in Anapa two months ago.
In many respects, the merit belongs to the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who pays great attention to the athlete. Emelianenko himself confirmed that he is actively involved in the training process and is one of his mentors.
“He is one of my coaches. Will he be in my corner? This is no longer a question for me. Maybe. I can’t bring out as many people as I want. Fight with Kadyrov? We box, I just don’t post sparring. On it rivals study me - strengths and weaknesses. He has a very good level of training, is very physically developed, we are constantly engaged with him, ”said Emelianenko on the Bostanof MMA YouTube channel.