Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov (, ; born 8 March 1975) is a Russian former professional boxer of Dagestani descent. He competed from 2002 to 2008, and held the WBO world heavyweight title from 2007 to 2008. He was ranked by BoxRec as the world's seventh best active heavyweight in 2005 and 2006, and sixth in 2007 and 2008. As an amateur he won silver medals at the 2000 Olympics and 2000 European Championships, and bronze at the 2001 World Championships, all in the heavyweight division.
Ibragimov is one of six southpaws to become world heavyweight champion: the others being Michael Moorer, Corrie Sanders, Chris Byrd, Ruslan Chagaev, and Charles Martin. He remains one of only five former world heavyweight champions, alongside Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Riddick Bowe and Nikolai Valuev to have never suffered a stoppage defeat. He also holds the second least career losses among former world heavyweight champions, having only lost to Wladimir Klitschko in his final fight. As of November 2020, BoxRec ranks Ibragimov as the 12th greatest Russian fighter of all time, pound-for-pound.
Amateur career
Ibragimov took up boxing at the age of 17, when he came to Rostov-on-Don and joined a local college, training under a tutelage of Anatoly Chernyayev. Soon after he was spotted by the AIBA Vice President and Russia's top boxing official Ramazan Abacharayev, his compatriot from Dagestan, who became his trainer and mentor for a long time.
Ibragimov had over 130 fights as an amateur, competing in heavyweight, claiming 135 victories, and having at least 6 known losses (no stoppages.)
Highlights
Feliks Stamm Memorial (91 kg), Warsaw, Poland, September 1998: 1/4: Defeated Adam Roguszka (Poland) RSC 1 1/2: Defeated Vladimir Ganstatiuc (Moldova) on points, 7–2 (4 rds) Finals: Lost to Wojciech Bartnik (Poland) on points, 5–6 (4 rds) USA–Russia Duals (91 kg), Marquette, Michigan, November 1998: Lost to Malik Scott (United States) on points, 6–11 USA–Russia Duals (91 kg), Mashantucket, Connecticut, November 1998: Defeated DaVarryl Williamson (United States) on points, 21–16 Trofeo Italia (91 kg), Naples, Italy, March 1999: 1/4: Lost to Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy) on points, 4–8 (4 rds) USA–Russia Duals (91 kg), Mashantucket, Connecticut, April 1999: Defeated DaVarryl Williamson (United States) RSC 3 Russian National Championships (91 kg), Chelyabinsk, Russia, June 1999 1/8: Defeated Vasiliy Kalinichenko by unanimous decision, 5–0 1/4: Defeated Yevgeniy Arkhipov by unanimous decision, 5–0 1/2: Defeated Sergey Lopatinskiy by unanimous decision, 5–0 Finals: Defeated Igor Kshinin by unanimous decision, 5–0 Black Sea Cup (91 kg), Sevastopol, Ukraine, October 1999: 1/4: Defeated Oleksandr Yatsenko (Ukraine) by split decision, 3–2 1/2: Defeated Stephen Reynolds (Ireland) RSC 1 Finals: Defeated Vladimir Chanturia (Georgia) by walkover
Summer Olympics (91 kg), Sydney, Australia, September 2000: 1/8: Defeated Pauga Laulau (Samoa) RSCO 4 1/4: Defeated Jackson Chanet (France) on points, 18–13 (4 rds) 1/2: Defeated Vladimir Chanturia (Georgia) on points, 19–14 (4 rds) Finals: Lost to Félix Savón (Cuba) on points, 13–21 (4 rds) European Championships (91 kg), Tampere, Finland, May 2000: 1/8: Defeated Primislav Dimovski (Macedonia) on points, 8–3 (4 rds) 1/4: Defeated Oleksandr Yatsenko (Ukraine) RET 3 1/2: Defeated Andreas Gustavsson (Sweden) on points, 10–3 (4 rds) Finals: Lost to Jackson Chanet (France) DQ 4 Four Nations International Tournament (91 kg), Moscow, Russia, July 2000: 1/2: Defeated Oleksandr Yatsenko (Ukraine) Finals: Defeated Timur Ibragimov (Uzbekistan) on points, 12–5 Strandzha Cup (91 kg), Plovdiv, Bulgaria, February 2001: 1/4: Defeated Nasser al-Shami (Syria) on points, 12–1 1/2: Defeated Roberto Cammarelle (Italy) RSCI 2 Finals: Defeated Felix Blazquez Barbero (Spain) by walkover World Championships (91 kg), Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 2001: 1/16: Defeated Stephen Reynolds (Ireland) on points, RSCH 2 1/8: Defeated Edson Claas (Brazil) KO 2 1/4: Defeated Kubrat Pulev (Bulgaria) on points, 15–12 (4 rds) 1/2: Lost to Odlanier Solís (Cuba) on points, 13–23 (4 rds)