# Ismail Sillakh

Ismail Sillakh (born February 9, 1985, in Zaporizhia) is a Ukrainian professional boxer who has medaled in important international tournaments as an amateur.

## Amateur career

Ismail Sillakh was born in Zaporizhia, then he moved with his family to Industrial city of Mariupol (one of the most important port cities in Ukraine) His parents — Mohammad of Sierra Leone and Natalya, a Ukraine native—met in college and had no particular connection to boxing but he took up the sport at a local recreation center at age seven and quickly discovered that he had the athletic ability to excel at it. In Mariupol he went to the boxing club of City's Metal Construction Factory of the name of Lenin. He was trained by one of the best city's boxing coaches. In Ismayl's career has played big role his old brother Adjick Sillakh. Adjick Sillakh was for years one of the best masters in Ukrainian amateur boxing, Ismayl gained good experience by boxing with his older brother Adjick. He began competing at age nine and was recognized as one of Ukraine’s better amateurs a few years later before establishing himself as one of Europe’s premier open-class boxers. Ismayl Sillakh had been a world-ranked amateur for two years going into the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago where he lost a close and spirited slug-fest to the more mature Christopher Downs.

### Amateur highlights

Amateur Record: 302-16
2001 (October 11–21) Gold Medalist World Cadet Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, boxing as a Welterweight (67 kg):
* Round of 16 - Defeated Robert Blazo (Slovakia)
* Quarterfinal - Defeated Rodriguez (Cuba)
* Semifinal - Defeated Artur Beterbiyev (Russia)
* Final - Defeated Elchin Alizade (Azerbaijan)
2005 (November 13–20) Silver Medalist World Championships in Mianyang, China, boxing as a Middleweight (75 kg):
* Round of 32 - Defeated Nabil Kassel (Algeria) RSCI
* Round of 16 - Defeated Donatas Bondorovas (Lithuania) RSCI 1
* Quarterfinal - Defeated Mamadou Diambang (France) RSCO
* Semifinal - Defeated Mohamed Hikal (Egypt) 28-22
* Final - Lost to Matvey Korobov (Russia) RSCO 2
2006 (July 14–23) Silver Medalist European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, boxing as a Light-Heavyweight (81 kg):
* Round of 32 - Defeated David Tsiklauri (Georgia) RSC 1
* Round of 16 - Defeated Andrey Miruk (Belarus) RSCO 2
* Quarterfinal - Defeated Imre Szello (Hungary) RSCI 1
* Semifinal - Defeated Constantin Bejenaru (Romania) RSCO 3
* Final - Lost to Artur Beterbiyev (Russia) 23-34

## Pro

As a pro he is managed by Ivaylo Gotzev and trained by Shadeed Suluki. In 2010 he KOd Daniel Judah for his first minor title (NABF), in 2011 he beat the undefeated Cuban Yordanis Despaigne by unanimous decision. After 17 wins he suffered a setback against undefeated but unsung Denis Grachev, after scoring a knockdown he got careless in the 8th round and Grachev knocked him out, Sillakh's chin looked somewhat suspect. He has won four comeback bouts to go to 21-1, but was knocked out by Sergey Kovalev in the second round of their title bout, leaving Sillakh with two career losses.

## Professional boxing record

27 Wins (21 Knockouts), 7 Losses, 0 Draws :
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 25–6 | Andrzej Fonfara | TKO | 6 (10), 2:14 | 2018-06-16 | Torwar Sport Hall, Warsaw, Poland | |
| Loss | 25–5 | Aleksei Papin | KO | 1 (10), 2:07 | 2017-11-27 | Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 25–4 | Mateusz Masternak | UD | 10 | 2017-06-24 | Ergo Arena, Gdańsk, Poland | |
| Win | 23-2 | Giorgi Tevdorashvili | TKO | 1 (8), 2:17 | 2015-10-31 | Circus, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine | |
| Win | 22-2 | Arturs Kulikauskis | UD | 8 | 2015-06-13 | Budivelnik, Cherkasy, Ukraine | |
| Loss | 21-2 | Sergey Kovalev | KO | 2 (12) 2:12 | 2013-11-30 | Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | For WBO light heavyweight title |
| Win | 21-1 | Konstantin Piternov | RTD | 6 (10), 3:00 | 2013-08-24 | Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine | |
| Win | 20-1 | Alvaro Enriquez | KO | 1 (8), 1:58 | 2013-06-28 | Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California, U.S. | |
| Win | 19-1 | Mitch Williams | UD | 10 | 2013-03-30 | Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| Win | 18-1 | Daniel Adotey Allotey | KO | 2 (10), 2:06 | 2013-02-23 | Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California, U.S. | |
| Loss | 17-1 | Denis Grachev | TKO | 8 (10), 2:18 | 2012-04-27 | Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas, U.S. | Lost NABF light heavyweight title |
| Win | 17-0 | Ali Ismailov | TKO | 4 (10), 2:06 | 2011-11-04 | Khodynka Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 16-0 | Hamza Wandera | TKO | 3 (10), 2:03 | 2011-05-21 | Sport Complex Krylatskoe, Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 15-0 | Yordanis Despaigne | UD | 10 | 2011-03-04 | Jostens Center, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, U.S. | Retained NABF light heavyweight title |
| Win | 14-0 | Rayco Saunders | UD | 10 | 2010-12-17 | Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Win | 13-0 | Jevgenijs Andrejevs | TKO | 5 (8) | 2010-10-09 | National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria | |
| Win | 12-0 | Daniel Judah | TKO | 2 (10), 0:49 | 2010-04-03 | Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won vacant NABF light heavyweight title |
| Win | 11-0 | Larry Pryor | TKO | 4 (6), 0:47 | 2010-02-06 | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Win | 10-0 | Julius Jackson | TKO | 1 (6), 1:27 | 2010-01-16 | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| Win | 9-0 | Ray Smith | TKO | 2 (6), 1:55 | 2009-08-15 | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| Win | 8-0 | David Whittom | TKO | 6 (6), 2:25 | 2009-05-09 | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| Win | 7-0 | Carlos Reyes | TKO | 3 (6), 1:42 | 2009-03-27 | Nokia Theater, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| Win | 6-0 | Jose Humberto Corral | TKO | 2 (4), 1:13 | 2008-12-20 | Hollywood Park Casino, Inglewood, California, U.S. | |
| Win | 5-0 | Dewayne Warren | TKO | 1 (6), 0:54 | 2008-11-07 | Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Win | 4-0 | Armen Azizian | UD | 6 | 2008-10-11 | O2 World Arena, Berlin, Germany | |
| Win | 3-0 | Walter Edwards | TKO | 1 (4) | 2008-08-15 | Ibiza Nightclub, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| Win | 2-0 | Jose Grace | KO | 1 (4), 1:01 | 2008-07-24 | 4th and B, San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| Win | 1-0 | Matt Halvorsen | KO | 1 (4), 1:18 | 2008-07-18 | Buffalo Bill's, Primm, Nevada, U.S. | |