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I had no idea who he was when I first saw him, but there was an aura about him, a presence to this kid that the others lacked… he threw some crazy combinations with a fluid style that blew me away.
Ivaylo Gotzev
Manager
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One of the Cabineteers was telling me about a young cruiserweight contender from the Rodina named Ismail Sillakh. His dad was from Sierra Leone, and his mum is from the Ukraine; his family was of the educated intelligentsia (his dad’s a doctor). He’s one of us, that’s for certain. He may live in LA at present, but he still boxes for the Ukraine on the international level. He’s gone pro; he’s won the NABF light heavyweight belt. He has a 21-1 record, with 17 KOs. In his only pro loss, Russian Denis Grachyov knocked him out. Ring-savvy Ivaylo Gotzev is his manager, and Shadeed Suluki is his trainer. Standing almost 6-feet-4 (1.93 metres), with the wingspan of a heavyweight, he has a slick and smooth style using intelligent pressure and combinations; many tout him as the next big thing out of Eastern Europe.
Click here for Ismail Mukhammedovich’s website.
BMD
Update 20.20 EDT:
Got this in:
He’s a practising Orthodox Christian and although he’s a Ukrainian citizen, he’s not a nationalist nut-job. His nickname is “The Black Russian”. I saw him fight on ESPN. He crosses himself and, after the bout, he puts on a large Russian Soldiers’ Cross. He’s very faithful to Faith, Family, and Rodina. The Ukrainian crackpots hate him because he’s Black, has happy memories of the USSR, sees the Ukraine as one of the Russias, and is a member of the canonical Church.
‘Nuff said… I know it when someone else knows more than I do…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
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