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.[1]
Amateur highlights
Amateur Record: 302-16
2001 (October 11–21) Gold Medalist World Cadet Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, boxing as a Welterweight (67 kg):
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.