Russian fighter Kirill Sidelnikov believes that his compatriot Alexander Emelianenko There is no need to completely abandon the sport, he can develop martial arts in the country thanks to his fame.
Since June, Emelianenko, 42, has been undergoing rehabilitation in Ingushetia. In May, Alexander scored his first victory since February 2022, defeating blogger Evgeny Ershov ahead of schedule in an MMA fight. As Nikita Burchak, Emelianenko’s manager, told , the fighter’s next fight will likely take place in late November or December.
— Should Alexander Emelianenko consider retiring from his career?
— I don’t think it’s worth giving up sports altogether. A man with a big name, he can’t fight, but promote martial arts in the country. Or maybe there will be a restart number 8, 9 again, as was the case when Emelianenko came to the Akhmat club.
— Rumors were circulating that Alexander Emelianenko had converted to Islam. How did you react to such messages?
“Somewhere inside I might think about it.” But I don’t think Alexander accepted (Islam). He is an orthodox man. I know he’s been deepening his faith a lot recently. But I don’t believe these messages,” reports the correspondent of , reporting Sidelnikov’s words.
On October 19 in Perm during the Ural FC 4 tournament as part of the “Russia is a sports power” forum, Sidelnikov will make his debut in the professional ring in a duel with Dutch kickboxer of Moroccan origin Nidal Bikiri. Earlier, Sidelnikov, who was the main training partner of Fedor Emelianenko, told that he left the Fedor team due to disagreements with the last emperor.
The Ural FC 4 tournament will be broadcast live on the channel, broadcasting will begin at 6:30 p.m. (Moscow time).
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
