Alexander Emelianenko Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Jail for Sexual Assault

Alexander Emelianenko, the brother of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, could spend the next several years behind bars.

The Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reported Tuesday that the former Pride heavyweight star was convicted of sexual assault, and Moscow's Simonovsky District Court sentenced him to serve 4.5 years in jail.   

Emelianenko, 33, was found guilty on charges of raping his housekeeper, Polina Stepanova, on March 2, 2014, and seizing her passport. Prosecutors wanted five years in prison for the MMA fighter.

Emelianenko has pleaded not guilty and claimed the sex was consensual.

As the brother of Fedor, who is widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history, a long shadow was cast over Alexander in the fight community. He still managed to carve his own spot in the sport with wins over Sergei Kharitonov, James Thompson, Bob Sapp and Eric Pele.

His last fight was in January 2014 at Coliseum FC: New History 2 in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Dmitry Sosnowski. Like Fedor, he is also a highly decorated men's combat Sambo fighter, having won several world titles.

This isn't Alexander's first run-in with the law. He was previously "charged with assaulting a retired person at a Moscow cafe," according to the RAPSI report. However, a settlement was reached outside the court system, and the charges were dropped.

A little over a year ago, Alexander denied that Fedor's success put pressure on him in an interview with Fightland. He said his brother was "just lucky here and there" in his MMA career:

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I wrestle him down easily with my arms. Everyone stands out in his own way. I am also not remaining in the shadow. He was just lucky here and there. I can't say anything bad about my brother because Fedor helped me a lot; he brought me into MMA.

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Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.