A Second Chance for Alexander Shlemenko

Alexander Shlemenko will return to the Bellator MMA cage for the first time in more than a year when he meets Kendal Grove in the Bellator 162 headliner on Friday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. Much has changed in the life and career of the former Bellator middleweight champion, who sounds ready to pick up where he left off 20 months ago. Shlemenko electrified the MMA world with a spinning back fist knockout on Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 133 and seemed to be in line for a chance to reclaim the promotion’s middleweight title. However, his pursuits were put on hold when post-fight urine samples revealed elevated levels of testosterone. The California State Athletic Commission suspended him for three years — the suspension was later reduced — and hit the Russian with a $10,000 fine. Shlemenko has since posted back-to-back wins over Vyacheslav Vasilevsky under the M-1 Global banner.“After I knocked out Manhoef, I had to sit and wait for my hearing because of what happened,” Shlemenko told Sherdog.com. “Every time I was scheduled to go to my hearing, it was getting pushed back, but I’m very glad all this is behind me now; and I am a very exciting fighter. I look forward to getting back in the Bellator cage to put on a great fight for the fans, something that they will remember.” Shlemenko has tested himself against a number of accomplished foes, including former Bellator champion Hector Lombard, Ultimate Fighting Championship hall of famer Tito Ortiz and onetime Strikeforce titleholder Ronaldo Souza. However, …

continue reading in source www.sherdog.com