According to some of the items that came out of the press conferences for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, it seems brother Aleks might be a touch estranged from his iconic sibling, Fedor.

Aleksander is a two-time Russian national SAMBO champion, and two-time world SAMBO champion in the absolute divisions.

On the less savory side, Aleksander spent time in a prison for robbery and was sentenced to 5 years but was released after three and a half.
His tattoos are a constant source of questions from his fans and journalists, and we decode them here for you from Wikipedia:

• Right arm: Cathedral with five domes: symbolizes five years of imprisonment.
• Shoulders: Stars: Symbolize a “career criminal” or Vor v Zakone in Russian (English translation: thief in law).
• Shoulders: More recently he has covered up the Stars with Clouds.
• Left shoulder: cobweb.
• Chest: The Battle of Kulikovo.
• Left shoulder: Russian script.
• Left forearm: Half cat’s head, half skull: “Homo homini lupus est.” Translated: Man is a wolf to his fellow-man. This is by Titus Maccius Plautus and appears in the works of Boris Pasternak and Hobbes.
• Back: Grim Reaper holding a baby.
• Back: “Gott Mit Uns”, meaning “God is with us” in German: for Aleksander, it’s a symbol of revival. This tattoo is a touch controversial since the slogan was written on belt buckles of German soldiers in the Third Reich.
• Knees: Stars: symbolize that the owner will never be brought to his knees. These tattoos also stirred up controversy, after a picture published on his website revealed a swastika in the middle.
• Pirate tattoo: stands for article 167 of Russian Criminal Code: “armed robbery”.
• “Fortis fortuna adiuvat” Translated: Fortune favors the bold.
• A name on his lower abs (’Marina’). Later covered by a tribal tattoo.
• A spider web on scalp.

Seems in this case, one leaf might have fallen a little further from the tree than another in the Emelianenko family. Aleks has, to say the least, a less corporate TV-friendly background than his big brother…

Aleksander Emelianenko vs. James Thompson

Fedor Emelianenko could be out of action for up to six months after injuring his hand on Brett Rogers’ chin on Saturday, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

“It could’ve been from that blow when he had Brett on the mat at the end,” Coker said. “We’re hearing he could be out for four to six months.”

Emelianenko was in line to fight Fabricio Werdum, who also won on Saturday’s card over former EliteXC champ Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, though a matchup between Werdum and Strikeforce title-holder Alistair Overeem could now take place with Fedor sidelined.

It’s likely that Emelianenko would then take on the the winner some time in middle of 2010.

Michael “The Count” Bisping made a hash of his big moment on the big stage at UFC 100 earlier this year when his major tactical blunder - continually circling towards opponent Dan “Hendo” Henderson’s vicious right hand - ended with him flat on his back and staring at the lights above the cage.

In early 2006 Bisping took part in the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter reality television series as a contestant on team Tito Ortiz.

Bisping took his preliminary bout against Kristian Rothaermel by TKO,  a semi-final win against Ross Pointon by submission after landing a flying knee and a series of strikes and then defeated Josh Haynes by TKO at 4:14 into the second round in the final.

The victories made Bisping the second light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter television series and made him a star in the UK,  setting him on course to challenge for the title.

Bisping’s run to the top was brutally derailed by Henderson and now he’s seeking some form of redemption against Dennis Kang in his hometown of Manchester, England this weekend.

On the last trip to the UK,  the UFC captured superb ratings for the Spike TV broadcast of UFC 95.

The promotion delivered more young men aged 18-34 (634,000) and 18-49 (1,244,000) than anything else on television on Saturday, February 21 from 9 p.m. to midnight.

UFC 95: “Sanchez vs. Stevenson” from The O2 Arena in London, England, averaged more than 2 million viewers and peaked with 3 million during the main event and drew 13,268 to the arena.

Even though it was a tape-delayed broadcast, it whipped on an NCAA collegiate basketball game up between Oklahoma and Texas on ESPN.

Those are some impressive numbers, and the UFC can only hope for the same kind of success across the pond this time around.

With a card that features a host of UK fighters, and the always popular Randy Couture as a headliner, the show is sure to do well at the gate, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not this incarnation of the road show will touch the success of UFC 95…

UFC 105

November 14, 2009
Manchester Evening News Arena
United Kingdom Manchester, England

Official fight card
Main card

• Light Heavyweight: Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera
• Welterweight: Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy
• Middleweight: Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang
• Welterweight: James Wilks vs. Matt Brown
• Lightweight: Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

Preliminary Card

• Lightweight: Terry Etim vs. Shannon Gugerty
• Welterweight: Paul Taylor vs. John Hathaway
• Welterweight: Nick Osipczak vs. Matthew Riddle
• Lightweight: Paul Kelly vs. Dennis Siver
• Light Heavyweight: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jared Hamman
• Lightweight: Andre Winner vs. Rolando Delgado

Quarterfinals Begin Tonight
Results Through November 10

Roy “Big Country” Nelson is in a tough spot tonight as he takes on his first quarterfinal opponent, Justin Wren.

“Dana said I was being cocky, but the way I looked at it they were going to give me whoever they wanted to see me fight anyway. So I tried to use a little reverse psychology and pick the only two people I didn’t want to fight, they were Justin and Darrill, ” Nelson wrote on his blog. “These guys became my good friends and training partners in the house. They were the last people I wanted to fight because you never want to ruin your friend’s dream. Just like Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans. They won’t fight each other because they are friends and it’s just bad business.”

TEAM RASHAD (7-1)
James McSweeney 1-0
Brendan Schaub 1-0
Justin Wren 1-0
Jon Madsen 1-0
Roy Nelson 1-0
Darrill Schoonover 1-0
Matt Mitrione 1-0
Mike Wessel - Eliminated on episode eight by Marcus Jones

TEAM RAMPAGE (0-7)
Kimbo Slice – Eliminated on episode three by Roy Nelson
Abe Wagner – Eliminated on episode one by Jon Madsen
Demico Rogers – Eliminated on episode four by Brendan Schaub
Wes Sims – Eliminated on episode five by Justin Wren
Scott Junk – Eliminated on episode seven by Matt Mitrione
Wes Shivers – Eliminated on episode two by James McSweeney
Zak Jensen – Eliminated on episode six by Darrill Schoonover
Marcus Jones 1-0

Full Cast

• Zak Jensen (11-2): The 6-foot-4, 265-pound 26-year-old Jensen was a collegiate wrestler and football player at Northern Illinois University and Augsburg College. After college, he found success in “Tough Man” competitions and Golden Gloves competitions and eventually made the move to MMA in 2007.
• Marcus Jones (4-1): The 6-foot-6, 260-pound 35-year-old Jones is the most prolific of the show’s NFL quartet. While playing defensive end at the University of North Carolina, Jones was an All-American and the 1995 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and became the 1996 first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After eight successful years in the NFL, he joined Gracie Tampa and made the transition to MMA.
• Scott Junk (6-2): The 6-foot-1, 265-pound 30-year-old Junk was a former Division II All-American football player at Southwest Oklahoma State. After college, Junk began training in mixed martial arts, earning his way into the UFC in 2007. Junk, who took the fight on less-than-two-weeks’ notice, suffered a first-round submission loss to Christian Wellisch.
• John Madsen (3-0): The 6-foot, 240-pound 29-year-old Madsen grew up in South Dakota, where he earned all-conference and all-state honors in football, wrestling and track. After defeating current UFC champion Brock Lesnar in a high-school wrestling match, Madsen went on to earn a Division II wrestling national championship at South Dakota State University. Madsen currently trains at Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad.
• James McSweeney (12-4): The 6-foot-4, 230-pound 28-year-old Englishman McSweeney started with a striking background, beginning his training in kickboxing at 6 years old before moving to Thailand to train full-time. After amassing a 136-9 combined record in multiple kickboxing organizations, McSweeney moved in with former UFC champion Rashad Evans and now trains full time at Greg Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico.
• Matt Mitrione (0-0): The 6-foot-3, 275-pound 30-year-old was a two-position football All-American while in high school. After attending Purdue University and earning All-Big Ten honors, Mitrione played six seasons in the NFL as a member of the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Following a devastating injury, Mitrione returned to his childhood passion of combat sports and began training with UFC veterans Chris Lytle and Jake O’Brien.
• Roy Nelson (14-4): The 6-foot-1, 265-pound 33-year-old was born and raised in Las Vegas, training in martial arts from an early age while playing football, baseball and wrestling. After turning pro, Nelson surprised many opponents with his less-than-impressive physique. “Big Country” earned the now-defunct IFL’s heavyweight crown, before suffering recent losses to notables Jeff Monson and Andrei Arlovski.
• Demico Rogers (4-0): The 6-foot-4, 235-pound 27-year-old was a stand-out wrestler and football player while attending high school in his native Washington. Rogers began training jiu-jitsu as a means of staying in shape, and after winning a local mixed martial arts tournament, he began to focus on the sport as a potential career.
• Brendan Schaub (4-0): The 6-foot-4, 240-pound 26-year-old credits the Jean Claude Van Damme movie “Bloodsport” as his inspiration to pursue martial arts. Growing up in Colorado, Schaub was an all-state athlete in both football and lacrosse. Schaub went on to play fullback at the University of Colorado before later playing in the Arena Football League and earning a spot on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad in the NFL. Schaub remained active in tae kwon do and jiu-jitsu, and he currently trains at T’s KO Fight Club and Jackson’s MMA.
• Darill Schoonover (10-0): The 6-foot-2, 250-pound 24-year-old Schoonover grew up in Texas and began training in jiu-jitsu, judo and submission grappling at 17. After graduating high school, Schoonover entered the Army, serving two years in the armed forces. Schoonover remains on active reserve while pursuing a career in teaching, though with 10-stoppages wins in 10 trips to the cage, mixed martial arts may quickly take precedence.
• Wes Shivers (3-1): The 6-foot-7, 285-pound 32-year-old Shivers grew up in Mississippi, earning a scholarship to play football at Mississippi State University. Shivers earned all-SEC honors before playing in the NFL with both the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons. Shivers followed his football career with a four-year stint in law enforcement. Shivers continues to train in Mississippi, including with UFC veteran Alan Belcher.
• Wes Sims (22-12-1): The 6-foot-10, 260-pound 29-year-old Sims originally planned to pursue a career in professional wrestling before UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman convinced “The Project” to take a shot at mixed martial arts. Sims earned his way into the UFC in 2003, dropping back-to-back outings to current UFC interim champion Frank Mir. Sims currently runs a gym in his native Ohio.
• Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (3-1): The 6-foot-1, 235-pound 35-year-old Ferguson needs little introduction to hardcore or casual MMA fans. The streetfighting YouTube sensation played football at the University of Miami before working as a bodyguard, earning extra money with his bareknuckle brawling exploits. A four-time veteran of the now-defunct EliteXC, Fergsuon last fought in a now-infamous loss to Seth Petruzelli.
• Abe Wagner (6-2): The 6-foot-4, 265-pound 29-year-old Wagner grew up in Wisconsin, excelling in both football and basketball while in high school. Wagner played linebacker at Michigan Tech University, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. Wagner began training in mixed martial arts in 2005.
• Mike Wessel (6-1): The 6-foot, 255-pound 31-year-old Wessel was raised in Ohio, eventually playing his way onto the University of St. Francis football team. Wessel played briefly in the Arena Football League before accepting a position as the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Arkansas. Wessel suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Antoni Hardonk in his lone UFC appearance at UFC 92 in December 2008.
• Justin Wren (10-1): The 6-foot-3, 264-pound 22-year-old Wren was a two-time high-school national champion wrestler in his native Texas, earning a spot on the Iowa State University wrestling team before an injury forced him to take a year off and recover. During his time away from wrestling, Wren focused his energy on mixed martial arts training, eventually electing to turn pro. Wren trains in Texas with “The Ultimate Fighter 4″ champ Travis Lutter, and he plans on moving to Las Vegas to train full-time with current UFC interim champ Frank Mir.