Sultan Ibragimov
Date of birth: 08.03.1975
Place of birth: City of Kaspiisk (Dagestan, Russia). According to other sources - the mountainous Dagestani village of Tlyanada.
Career: After moving to Rostov-on-Don, he began boxing at the age of 17 and enrolled in a financial college.
Before 2002, he boxed in the amateur class. In 1999, he became the Russian champion. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia), he won the silver medal in the weight category over 91 kg.
In 2002, he moved to the USA and began fighting professionally there. During this time, his manager remained Boris Greenberg.
In America, Ibragimov was immediately noticed by experts and boxing enthusiasts. His aggressive fighting style, knockout punch with both hands, and complete lack of fear of any opponent quickly made him popular with the demanding American audience. During his time in the USA (referred to by the local public as the 'Russian Hunter'), he learned the fundamentals of the American professional boxing school excellently, strengthened himself physically, and gained more than 10 kg (according to local standards, the athletic preparation of a boxer plays a significant role).
Experts characterize Sultan Ibragimov as a talent show, with a fine sense of boxing, the ability to accurately assess his opponent and impose his fight.
During his one and a half decades long professional career, he won 21 fights, one of which ended in a draw. In 17 out of 20 fights, a premature victory was achieved.
In June 2007, he defeated Shannon Briggs in a 12-round fight in Atlantic City and became the new heavyweight world champion according to WBO rules.
In October of the same year, he defended his title in a fight against the boxing legend, the already aged but still determined Evander Holyfield.
According to some sources, Sulaiman Kerimov, one of the richest men in Russia, owner of 'Nefte-Moscow', a member of the State Duma, and also from Dagestan, played an important role in promoting the Russian boxer.
Ibragimov vs. Klitschko: On February 23, 2008, Sultan Ibragimov faced Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, the reigning champion according to IBF and IBO, at the 'Madison Square Garden' arena in New York. This fight was symbolic for both boxers for many reasons. Not only because the winner would receive three championship belts but also because the last similar unifying superfight took place eight years ago.
Evaluating the chances of his ward, Boris Greenberg stated that Sultan primarily has a larger technical arsenal than Klitschko and a much faster speed. In his opinion, Ibragimov's more modest parameters in terms of height and weight are, on the contrary, an advantage. 'We know Vladimir's weaknesses. What the Ukrainian has worked on for more than 10 years, Sultan has achieved in five years,' summed up the manager.
After defeating Wladimir Klitschko, Ibragimov planned to meet the winner of the WBC world championship fight between Oleg Maskayev and Samuel Peter. However, the fight against the Ukrainian ended after 12 rounds, resulting in the loss of the championship belt, which seriously affected the Russian's plans. The loss to Klitschko was the first in the boxer's professional career.
In total, Sultan Ibragimov fought 24 fights. He won 22 (17 by K.O.), and in July 2006, his fight with American Ray Austin ended in a draw. The loss to Klitschko was the first in Ibragimov's professional career. Moreover, this fight has so far been the last in the professional ring for Sultan.
In 2009, after his fight with Wladimir Klitschko, Ibragimov ended his boxing career. He justified this by stating that he had already suffered 3 arm injuries before the fight and also wanted to retire at the height of his physical condition and maintain his health.
Sultan Ibragimov lives in Makhachkala and runs a fuel business there.
Family: Sultan Ibragimov is married. He has three children: daughter Rukiyat (born 2010), son Askhab (born 2011), and son Magomedsalikh (born 2014).
07.03.2022