Alexander Shlemenko has begun the arduous process of trying to rebuild his reputation following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.
The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion will meet “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Kendall Grove in the Bellator 162 main event on Friday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. It will mark Shlemenko’s first appearance inside the Bellator cage in more than 20 months.
Shlemenko was suspended for three years by the California State Athletic Commission after he failed a post-fight drug screen in wake of his second-round technical knockout against Melvin Manhoef on Feb.