December 06, 2007

On December 3 an article unobtrusively relating mixed fighting with the ultra-right environment appeared at the SOVA research and information web site. The accusations of contacts with the nationalist organizations are based on the photo and video material presenting the group members wearing t-shirts with SS symbols. Owing to it the President of the Mixed Fighting League and the leading Red Devil Club fighters put on record.

Fedor Emelianenko was really outraged at the fact that his autograph could be a proof of his relation to any organization. 'People often ask for my autograph, they come with photos and posters, ask for the autographs for their friends. I sign posters of many sports clubs unknown to me. I am against any nationalist and racist organizations.' According to the author of the article, V. Putin also comes out to support the ultra-right as he attends Mixed Fighting championships and the fighters are allegedly related to the representatives of Russian National Union which is quite illogical nowadays.

Vadim Finkelstein, 'We live in Russia, in a multinational country. The Red Bull Club represents the country at the most prestigious Mixed Fighting, Combat Sambo, jujitsu championships. Russians, Armenians, Jews, Azerbaijanians, Dagestanis and Afro Americans train in our club. We do not make any distinctions between the athletes depending on their nationality. If a person is gifted and talented his nationality, political and religious beliefs have no importance.'

Roman Zentsov also gave his comment on the article, 'I often give master classes for various organizations (OMON, Federal Security Guard Service), there's also been a master class for the troopers. I know nothing about their political views.'

Alexander Emelianenko mentions that Dmitri Demushkin is his fan, 'We don't choose our fans, there are just people who like Mixed Fighting and they follow the development of the sport. I am not related to SS and don't share the views of this organization. When a person has fans this doesn't mean sharing the same activities they practice. If a well-known fighter has a fan who performs in Mariinski theatre you wouldn't say that the athlete sings opera. So I can't understand why should a parallel be drawn in the case.'

The Red Bull fighters are open for communication and if SOVA journalists hadn't put forward their hypothesis based on the rumors spread by the extreme right and neo-Nazi groups they would have gotten an exclusive interview in which the athletes would have willingly answered all the questions.