Sultan-Akhmed Magomedsalichowitsch Ibragimow

Sultan Ibragimov
Data
Birth Name	Sultan-Akhmed Magomedsalichowitsch Ibragimow
Weight class	Heavyweight
nationality	Russia
birthday	March 8, 1975
place of birth	Tljarata
style	Legal display
size	1.88 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles	24
Victories	22nd
Knockout victories	17th
Defeats	1
draw	1
Profile in the BoxRec database

Sultan Ibragimov ( Russian Султан-Ахмед Магомедсалихович Ибрагимов abroad usually only under the name Sultan known; * 8. March 1975 in Tljarata , Dagestan ASSR , Soviet Union ) is a former Russian heavyweight boxer and WBO world champion.

Amateur career

Ibragimow, a Muslim Aware from the Russian republic of Dagestan . He was born in the village of Tljarata , where he spent his childhood. After moving to the city of Kaspiysk , he only started boxing at the age of 17.

In 2000, the southpaw came second at the European Championships, losing in the final to Frenchman Jackson Chanet . In the final of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in the 91 kg class, he was defeated by the Cuban Félix Savón and won the silver medal. In the course of the tournament he defeated Jackson Chanet, France (18:13) and Vladimir Tschanturia , Georgia (19: 4). 2001 Ibragimow was Russian champion and also finished third at the World Championships in Belfast , after he lost in the semi-finals Odlanier Solís , Cuba (23:13). In the course of the tournament he beat u. a. Kubrat Pulew , Bulgaria (15:12). At the chemistry cup in 2002 he defeated Steffen Kretschmann , but lost again in the final against Solís.

Professional career

In 2002 Ibragimow switched to the professional camp. He boxed mainly in the USA, initially with the controversial coach Panama Lewis , who manipulated the gloves of one of his boxers several times and slipped a mysterious (allegedly prepared) bottle into the drug addict Aaron Pryor in a fight against Alexis Argüello . Ibragimov is sponsored by the controversial Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov .

In 2005 he defeated the first better-known opponents, such as ex-IBF cruiserweight world champion Alfred Cole, the Nigerian Friday Ahunanya, who knocked him down for the first time in his professional career, and Lance Whitaker , against whom he won early in the seventh round in December of that year.

In May 2006, the IBF decided that Ibragimov should box against Ray Austin for the position of the mandatory challenger of Wladimir Klitschko . Austin refused, however, whereupon the IBF next appointed John Ruiz as an opponent of Ibragimow in the eliminator. However, when Ruiz moved to the position of first place in the WBA rankings, he also canceled the encounter.

The IBF then again started a fight between Ibragimow and Austin, which Austin agreed this time. Ibragimow's promoter company Warriors Boxing acquired the rights to host the fight for $ 810,000. The only other company that was bidding, Don King Productions , only submitted the minimum bid. Ibragimow drew from Austin on July 28, 2006, both boxers had to go to the ground in the course of the fight. Coach Lewis was fired after this disappointment.

Despite the fact that no mandatory challenger for the IBF title holder has been identified in the ring, there will be no direct rematch between Austin and Ibragimov. Austin was named number one at the IBF's "green table". Ibragimow was able to advance to the first position by the draw in the rankings of the WBO and rise to the mandatory challenger of title holder Shannon Briggs . The title fight against Briggs was planned for March 2007, but had to be postponed due to an illness Briggs'. As a substitute opponent for Briggs Ibragimow went up against Javier Mora in the meantime, Ibragimow prepared the Mexican his first knockout defeat. He won the first round. He won the title fight against WBO world champion Briggs on June 2, 2007 in Atlantic City unanimously on points.

Then he should compete on October 13, 2007 in Moscow against the Uzbek WBA world champion Ruslan Chagayev in a union fight . Chagayev canceled due to stomach disease; however, according to the September 2007 edition of BoxSport, he suffered from hepatitis . Instead, Ibragimow competed against Evander Holyfield , who, now 44 years old, wanted to conquer a heavyweight title for the fifth time. Holyfield could never put the much more agile Ibragimow, who won unanimously on points, in danger.

Ibragimov then boxed on February 23, 2008 in Madison Square Garden in New York in a title union fight against the reigning IBF and IBO world champion Wladimir Klitschko , the first heavyweight title association since 1999. The fight and thus the WBO title he lost over twelve Rounds clearly on points.

Ibragimov has remained inactive since that fight. In late July 2009 it was announced that Ibragimov had retired from his career.

Web links

• Sultan Ibragimow in the BoxRec database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Former boxing world champion Ibragimow resigns sport.rtl.de, July 31, 2009

predecessor	Office	successor
Shannon Briggs	Heavyweight Boxing Champion ( WBO ) June 2, 2007–23. February 2008	Wladimir Klitschko