Russian fighter considered by some to be the greatest heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter of all time; went undefeated for nearly a decade.
He served as a firefighter in the Russian Army.
He won tournaments in multiple disciplines, including the Pride Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo.
His mother was a Teacher and his father was a welder. He was married to Oksana Emelianenko from 1999 to 2006, then after being married to Marina Emelianenko from 2009 to 2013, he re-married Oksana in 2014. He has three daughters named Masha, Elizabeth, and Vasilisa.
He was repeatedly asked to compete in the UFC by UFC President Dana White, who called it an "obsession" to get him to fight in the UFC.
