Sultan Ibragimov

Amateur career

2000 Silver medal as a heavyweight in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Results:

2000 Silver medal as a heavyweight at the European Championship in Tampere, Finland.
Results:

2001 Bronze medal at the World Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Results:

Professional career

Ibragimov turned professional and rose through the heavyweight ranks by knocking out journeymen Al Cole, Zuri Lawrence, Friday Ahunanya and Lance Whitaker. On 28 July 2007, Ibragimov's record improved to 19-0-1 when he fought to a draw with Ray Austin in a grueling 12 round IBF heavyweight title eliminator.

WBO heavyweight champion

Despite the draw against Ray Austin, Ibragimov received a title shot from another sanctioning organization, the WBO. He was scheduled to challenge Shannon Briggs for the WBO heavyweight title on 10 March 2007, but because Briggs became ill with pneumonia, Ibragimov instead faced Javier Mora at Madison Square Garden in New York on that date. Ibragimov knocked out Mora 46 seconds into the first round. This win broke the record for the quickest knockout in a main event bout in Madison Square Garden, which was previously held by Lee Savold who defeated Buddy Walker in 1948.

Ibragimov faced the heavy-handed WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City, New Jersey on 2 June 2007. With an exception of an early and late pressure by Briggs in round one & twelve, rounds two to eleven were mostly controlled by Ibragimov, out-boxing his larger opponent with fast combinations.

On 13 October 2007, Sultan Ibragimov won his first title defense against the aging former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield by unanimous decision for the WBO heavyweight title at Khodynka Arena in Moscow, Russia.

Ibragimov fought Wladimir Klitschko on 23 February 2008 at Madison Square Garden. This fight was a unification bout laying the two fighters' IBF, IBO, and WBO titles on the line. This was the only title unification since 1999 when Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fought.

Unification bout against Wladimir Klitschko

He was defeated by Wladimir Klitschko by way of a unanimous decision. Ibragimov had his moments, but for the most part was unable to get past Klitschko's long jab and occasional straight right hand, he struggled to land any significant punches on his larger opponent.

Retirement

In February 2009 there were rumors about Ibragimov's retirement from boxing following his loss to Wladimir Klitschko, which were later confirmed in July 2009. Despite a largely undistinguished career, Ibragimov retired as one of only five heavyweight champions, along side Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Riddick Bowe and Nicolai Valuev to have never suffered a stoppage defeat.

Personal life

Ibragimov is of Avar Dagestani descent, and is Muslim by faith. His cousin, Timur Ibragimov, is also a former heavyweight professional boxer. However, while Sultan competed for Russia, Timur represented Uzbekistan.