According to Russian news site Sportbox.ru, the 38-year-old Emelianenko, best known for his stint in Pride Fighting Championships and for being the younger brother of former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, was arrested on the morning of Jan. 21 for being intoxicated and “behav[ing] inappropriately.” Emelianenko was charged with hooliganism, a misdemeanor in the Russian legal system that is used as a catch-all for various acts of disorderly public behavior. He appeared in court and was sentenced to seven days in jail, which he began serving on Jan. 22.
This is far from the first time the former world combat sambo champion has run afoul of the law, which is reflected in his receiving a seven-day sentence for this most recent incident, rather than the customary three days. In 2015, he was convicted of the assault and rape of his former housekeeper and sentenced to four and a half years in prison, but was released on parole after a year and a half. Last March, Emelianenko was arrested for drunk driving and fleeing from police and jailed for 10 days, forcing him out of a scheduled fight under the Russian Cagefighting Championship banner.
Emelianenko (28-7-1) is currently scheduled to take on Magomed Ismailov (15-3) at ACA 107 on April 7, a bout that Absolute Championship Akhmat claims is not affected by Emelianenko’s arrest and incarceration.