Murat Gassiev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Murat Gassiev Мурат Гассиев Гасситы Мурат
Gassiev in 2017
Statistics
Real name	Murat Georgievich Gassiev
Nickname(s)	Iron
Rated at	Cruiserweight Heavyweight
Height	1.92 m
Reach	193 cm
Born	(1993-10-12) 12 October 1993 (age 31) Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, Russia
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	34
Wins	31
Wins by KO	24
Losses	2
No contests	1

Murat Georgievich Gassiev (born October 12, 1993) is a Russian professional boxer. He used to be a world champion in the cruiserweight division. He held the IBF title from 2016 to 2018 and the WBA (Unified) title in 2018.

Early Life and Amateur Boxing

Murat Gassiev comes from Vladikavkaz, a city in North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. His family is of Ossetian descent. Before becoming a professional boxer, he had a short amateur career. He competed in 25 amateur fights.

Professional Boxing Career

Cruiserweight Division

Starting Out as a Pro

Murat Gassiev began his professional boxing career when he was 17 years old. His first fight was on September 21, 2011, in his hometown of Vladikavkaz. He won that fight against Roman Mirzoev by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed he won.

In his second fight, he knocked out Vladimir Chuklin in the fourth round. Over the next year and a half, Murat stayed undefeated. He won 11 fights, with 7 of them ending early by knockout. By the age of 19, he was already making a name for himself.

In June 2013, Murat won his first major title. He defeated Levan Jomardashvili to become the WBC Youth world cruiserweight champion. He defended this title in December against Ivica Bacurin, winning by unanimous decision.

In February 2014, Murat fought Ismail Abdoul in his first 12-round fight. He won by unanimous decision and also claimed the vacant IBF East/West Europe cruiserweight title. Later that year, he won the vacant IBF Inter-Continental cruiserweight title. Around this time, he started training with famous coach Abel Sanchez.

Moving Up the Ranks

Murat had a busy year in 2015, fighting four times. He made his debut in the United States in January. He stopped Terrance Smith in the fourth round. Then, he faced a tougher opponent, Felix Cora Jr., and successfully defended his IBF Inter-Continental title.

In December 2015, Murat fought Isiah Thomas in an IBF eliminator match. This fight ended in a "no contest" after Thomas was accidentally hit after the bell and couldn't continue.

In May 2016, Murat got another chance in an eliminator fight against Jordan Shimmell. He won by knockout in the very first round. This win made him the mandatory challenger for the IBF cruiserweight world title.

Fighting for the World Title

In December 2016, Murat Gassiev fought Denis Lebedev for the unified cruiserweight world championship. The fight took place in Moscow, Russia. Lebedev was the champion, but only the IBF title was on the line. Murat won the fight by a split decision, which means two judges scored it for him and one for Lebedev. He became the new IBF cruiserweight champion.

World Boxing Super Series

Murat Gassiev joined the World Boxing Super Series tournament. This was a big competition with eight top cruiserweight boxers. The winner would be considered the best in the division.

Gassiev vs. Włodarczyk

In October 2017, Murat fought Krzysztof Włodarczyk in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The fight was in New Jersey, USA. Murat won by knockout in the third round, keeping his IBF title. He hit Włodarczyk with a strong left uppercut and then a left to the body, which sent him down.

Gassiev vs. Dorticos

After his win, Murat faced Yuniel Dorticos in the semi-finals. Dorticos was the WBA 'Regular' champion, and the fight was a unification bout. It took place in Sochi, Russia, in February 2018.

Murat won this exciting fight by knockout in the twelfth round. He knocked Dorticos down three times in that final round. The last knockdown sent Dorticos through the ropes, and the referee stopped the fight. Murat kept his IBF title and also won the WBA (Unified) cruiserweight title. This meant he had two world titles!

Gassiev vs. Usyk

The final of the World Boxing Super Series was set between Murat Gassiev and Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk was the WBO and WBC cruiserweight champion. The winner would become the undisputed champion, holding all four major world titles. The fight happened on July 21, 2018, in Moscow, Russia.

Usyk won the fight by a unanimous decision. He moved very well and used his jab effectively. Murat couldn't land his powerful punches as much as he wanted. Usyk was declared the winner with scores of 120–108, 119–109, and 119–109. After the fight, both boxers showed great sportsmanship. Murat said Usyk was the best opponent he had ever faced.

After this fight, it was reported that Murat needed time off for a shoulder injury. He might have needed surgery.

Heavyweight Division

After recovering from his shoulder surgery, Murat Gassiev decided to move up to the heavyweight division. This is a heavier weight class in boxing. In April 2019, he signed a deal to fight on the DAZN streaming service.

In October 2020, Murat made his heavyweight debut against Nuri Seferi. He won by technical knockout in the first round. He hit Seferi with a big right hand, and the referee stopped the fight.

In July 2021, Murat fought Michael Wallisch for the vacant WBA Asia heavyweight title. He won by technical knockout in the fourth round. He knocked Wallisch down with a body shot and then finished him with a series of punches.

Murat was supposed to fight in December 2021 but had to withdraw because he broke his right arm during training. He returned to the ring in August 2022. He faced Carlouse Welch for the vacant EBP heavyweight title in Belgrade, Serbia. Murat won the fight by knockout in just 87 seconds of the first round.

His most recent fight was on October 26, 2024, where he defeated Kem Ljungquist by knockout in the fifth round.

Professional Boxing Record

See also

In Spanish: Murat Gassiev para niños

• List of cruiserweight boxing champions