Alexander Emelianenko was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for sexual assault. The verdict was announced on May 19.
Alexander Emelianenko will be kept away from MMA competition until 2020, as the Simonovsky Court in Moscow announced on May 19 that the heavyweight fighter had been found guilty of sexual assault.
The court sentenced Emelianenko to 4.5 years in prison and a fine of 50,000 rubles (approx. $1010 USD). The prosecution had initially suggested a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 60,000 rubles.
The former PRIDE fighter was convicted of sexual assault, "kidnapping" by withholding a passport, and the forced use of "narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances" on 27-year-old Polina Stepanova.