Russian police have detained mixed martial arts star Alexander Yemelyanenko on suspicion of brutally beating up a man in a Moscow cafe, a police official said Thursday.
As a result of a conflict in a cafe in southeastern Moscow on Wednesday the victim was hospitalized with several injuries, police said. A search was mounted for the 31-year-old fighter, and he was subsequently taken in for questioning, police said.
Yemelianenko is a renowned MMA fighter with 23 career wins under his belt. He is the younger brother of former MMA champion Fyodor Yemelyanenko.
Alexander Yemelyanenko was fined by a Siberian court last year for disorderly conduct on board a commercial flight, and was questioned by police in August over the alleged rape of a 23-year-old woman.
After the airplane incident, he retired stating he had too many injuries but returned to the sport in March following a three-month stay in a Greek monastery.
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