SULTAN IBRAGIMOV

updated February 24, 2008

An aggressive fighter with two-fisted power, Russia's Sultan Ibragimov is an unmovable force in the ring, and as the WBO World Heavyweight Champion, many believe he is destined to achieve great things in heavyweight division in the coming years.

Born in Kaspiisk on March 8, 1975, Ibragimov was a late bloomer in the fight game, only picking up the sport at the fairly advanced age of 17. But anyone who saw him, even in those formative years, knew that he had the talent and determination to go far.

Seven years after first putting on the gloves, Ibragimov became a National amateur champion, and a year later he was in the 2000 Olympic Games, battling the best in the world. In the Sydney Games, Ibragimov earned a Silver medal, only losing via a controversial decision to Cuban great Felix Savon.

In 2002, Ibragimov would begin his professional journey, relocating to the United States, where he would not only get top training and sparring, but he would also receive the opportunities to move the quickest in the capital of the fight game.

Sultan made his pro debut in Delray Beach, Florida on May 25, 2002, knocking out Tracy Williams in just 79 seconds. His next three opponents didn't fare much better as they all fell in the first round as well.

After two more impressive KO victories in the States, Ibragimov returned home for his next five fights to show his fans just how far he had come since they had last seen him in action. And the Russian fans were impressed, as Sultan went 5-0 with four knockouts on his homecoming tour from April of 2003 to March of 2004.

Returning to the US in August of 2004 with a fifth round stoppage of Onebo Maxime, Ibragimov was ready for a step up in competition. Unfortunately, that competition wasn't ready for him as veterans Najee Shaheed, James Walton, and former world champion Al Cole were all stopped by the Russian wrecking machine. In the process, Sultan earned the vacant WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title, a crown he has defended five times.

In 2005, Ibragimov has been simply devastating, following up the third round stoppage of Cole with wins over well-regarded heavyweights Zuri Lawrence (TKO 11), Andy Sample (TKO 1) and Friday Ahunanya (W TD 9), and on December 15th, Ibragimov was expected to face the toughest test of his career when he took on perennial contender Lance 'Mount' Whitaker, but it turned into the most impressive win of his young career as he stopped Whitaker in the seventh round.

It was such an emphatic victory that other heavyweights were understandably hesitant about facing him, but on July 28, 2006, Ray Austin stood up and faced Ibragimov in an IBF title elimination bout which saw both fighters hit the canvas before a 12 round draw verdict was rendered.

Most observers felt that Ibragimov did enough to win the fight though, including the WBO, which awarded the Russian banger a shot at newly crowned champion Shannon Briggs. Before that fight though, Briggs withdrew due to illness, and Ibragimov's time to shine would have to wait.

To stay busy, he scored a 46 second blowout of Javier Mora on March 10, 2007, and his shot at Briggs was re-scheduled for June 2, 2007 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

And on that night, Ibragimov's lifelong dream became a reality when he decisioned Briggs unanimously over 12 rounds to win the WBO world heavyweight championship, using constant activity and combination punching to force the Brooklynite to fight at a pace he did not want to deal with.

So how did Ibragimov's family back home (who he visits after every fight) react to having a heavyweight champion in the family?

"Everybody becomes crazy, including myself," he laughs, but he also knows that being a champion means more than just performing in the ring. For the soft-spoken Ibragimov, being thrust in the public eye will undoubtedly be an adjustment, but one he is prepared for.

"I understand that it's part of the life of a champion," said Ibragimov. "If you want to be in the boxing business, or in another business where you have to be famous, you have to be prepared for this. Be patient, be nice, and that's it. My friend Mike Tyson, everybody says he is arrogant, but I see how he is patient when we were together a couple of times, and he was very nice with people. Everybody stopped him and everybody asks him for autographs and he never says a bad word. This is the only way to be in this world. If you have to be arrogant, that's not my style."

Sounds like a worthy representative for this sport, especially since Ibragimov wants to show the world that the heavyweight division is not only relevant, but that it's alive and well.

"I want only one thing," he said. "People have to see how beautiful the boxing is. These big, big guys have destroyed the heavyweight division. On the screen or in the auditorium, I want people to see how beautiful the heavyweights can fight."

On October 13th, Ibragimov returned home to Russia for the first defense of his championship against living legend Evander Holyfield in a highly-anticipated bout at the Khodynka Arena in Moscow, and he once again showed why he is considered among the elite as he scored a dominant 12 round unanimous decision over the four-time heavyweight champion.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Ibragimov will attempt to unify two of the heavyweight titles when he takes on IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 23rd.