“I am very happy for this man, for this great fighter,” the Russian specialist said in an interview. Sport24. “It’s not because of the fact that he converted to Islam. It’s understandable that he embraced Islam, it’s a nice feeling. The fact is that when he was dying from his alcohol abuse, there was nothing to help him leave it and live sober. We know that he is a great fighter and an outspoken person – when people like him start living sober, it’s a great joy for me personally. I’m glad that this man is doing well and has moved away from that dirt.”
“I have no doubt that he converted to Islam. It does not happen that he went to Medina for Hajj without accepting Islam. One hundred percent of all Muslims go there. It cannot be different there. I myself recently returned from Medina – I flew through the same person that Alexander flew through there. We wanted to meet, but it didn’t happen, he arrived later. The main thing is that there is no harm from him to society. Now he will be useful to society – that’s the main thing.”
Previously, Alexander Emelianenko, who has been undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction at the Iman rehabilitation clinic in Ingushetia for the past six months, published a series of videos from Saudi Arabia on social media, in which he visits the “Prophet’s Mosque” in Medina and takes the Arabic name Abubakar.