Habir Suleymanov: biography and photos

Career in professional boxing, as a rule, opens for fighters who have made great strides in amateur sports, who made a name for themselves at the world championships, the Olympics. However, twin brothers Habir and Sabir Suleymanov made a daring act and decided to try their hand at a new kind of sport after several years of kickboxing. The first, having left for the USA, passed all the tests connected with adaptation in a new place, worked as a loader, security guard, mechanic. At the same time he worked hard and managed to win several weighty titles in professional boxing, battling at the bantamweight.

Life before professional boxing

The brothers Habir and Sabir Suleimenovs were born in the village of Ilambetovo in the Argayash district of the Chelyabinsk region in 1980. They graduated from high school in the neighboring village, since only the primary school operated in their native village. Sports guys were fond of since childhood, but their first passion was far from boxing. Twins played chess well, even became champions of the district. So the biography of Khabir Suleymanov is rather untypical for a standard boxer.

To the physical tests of the children, my father was accustomed to teaching them, even in the worst frosts, taking them on a hunt. Soon in their native area opened a kickboxing school under the leadership of Salavat Bayroamgalin, where Habir Suleimanov signed up with his brother. Together with the school of kickboxing, former chess players moved to Chelyabinsk. Habir Suleymanov along with his brother entered the Chelyabinsk Agricultural Academy and continued training in parallel.

Change of sports specialty and difficult decision

Small growth, but strong athletes showed good results in kickboxing. They won in the regional championships, the country, won international awards. The peak of achievements of Khabir Suleymanov became the belt of the world champion, which he earned at a tournament in the US. There was a fateful meeting with the American boxing trainer, who came from Russia. He also advised the guys to try their hand at professional boxing.

With all the achievements of Khabir and Sabir in kickboxing, this sport did not promise them great prospects in life. He was not an Olympic sport, he was not particularly popular in the world, accordingly, the opportunities for earning even for world champions were very limited.

However, the change in sports discipline and the move to a strange, unfamiliar country required serious courage. The guys in fact had to abandon the whole past life and start everything from scratch. Habir and Sabir determined their destiny in an original way - they threw a coin. The lot fell in favor of the move, and a few months later in 2004 the Suleimanov brothers with two sports bags were leaving the plane at the airport in New York.

Adaptation period

A relatively simple way up in professional boxing opens before athletes who have won big awards in amateurs, won or took medals at the Olympics.

Habir and Sabir started from scratch, without having any statistics in amateur boxing behind him. At first they lived in the apartment of their coach. In the hall the Suleimanov brothers worked for three hours a day, honing their skills with great intensity. To make a living, Habir and Sabir did not disdain to work as porters, security guards, and window washers.

Especially extreme was the experience of Habir in the guard, when he had already moved to Los Angeles. His duties consisted in the fact that he inspected the things of suspicious passengers at the bus station in the most criminal district of the city. Without any weapons, Bashkir boxer Habir Suleymanov withdrew drugs, knives.

There were situations when it was necessary to apply the skills of pugilism, and huge bandits were not ready to resist the frail-looking fellow with Asian appearance. One day Khabir Suleymanov decided to leave a dangerous occupation. This happened when he found out among the personal belongings of one of the passengers the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The first battles

The debut of Khabir Suleymanov in the professional ring was held in 2006 on one of the arenas of New York State. The rival of the Bashkir sportsman was not very well-known Lick Crawford, whom Habir easily defeated by TKO. After another victory in the same year in the career of the boxer came a long break, which lasted almost two years.

In 2008, Habir Suleymanov, whose biography in the US was just beginning, made his debut at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York. He was confronted by debutant Robert Phillips, who fought most of the fight against the swift and continuous attacks of Khabir and lost by a unanimous decision.

Then boxer Habir Suleymanov conducted a series of battles in which he gained confident victories. Despite the fact that the level of opponents was low, Habir gradually began to gain a name in professional boxing. Another important factor was that all his fights were very spectacular and were happily broadcast by television companies. Habir Suleymanov never sat out on the defensive, attacked defiantly and tried to decide the outcome of the match by his own attacking actions.

The dramatic outcome of the Golden Gloves

Competitions "Golden Gloves" are considered very prestigious in New York and collect many strong boxers. The Suleymanov brothers took part in the competitions. Exceeding their opponents, they both deserved the right to participate in the decisive match. As a rule, close relatives avoid meeting each other in all kinds of martial arts. Especially since Habir and Sabir were not just brothers, but indistinguishable twins. However, sport is a sport, and the guys agreed to take part in the final match between themselves.

Who knows how Habir and Sabir agreed to box against each other, but the epic clash of the two twins never took place. Professional boxing in many ways is a show business, there is open a large space for maneuvers and unexpected solutions.

The organizers dug up an ancient rule according to which the relatives could not fight among themselves and announced directly in the ring that the main prize of the tournament would be divided between Khabir and Sabir without a fight.

The first titles of the brave Bashkir

In 2010, Khabir Suleymanov reached his first title fight. At stake was the WBO NABO belt, for which he was to fight a boxer of Mexican descent by Benjamin Garcia. The native of the Chelyabinsk region was irresistible and fought at the limit of his strength, winning a unanimous decision.

Six months later, he had a chance for another title. The belts of the WBO intercontinental world champion were played, as well as the WBA NABO belt. Again, Habir had to meet with a Latin American fighter, and in California, where they enjoy the deafening support of the stands. The fight turned out to be equal and very stubborn, however Suleymanov was able to win a difficult victory over Javier Galo and even sent him to a knockout.

Mexican Adventures of Habir

After Habir gained a whole set of belts, he took part in a series of fights on Mexican territory. Local boxers were very strong, the public supported the favorites with incredible strength, and the judges in disputed situations did not dare to show adherence to principle and imperceptibly played up to the Mexicans. Nevertheless, Habir Suleymanov had several good fights and earned the right to a title fight, in which he could become the world champion according to the WBF version.

The duel took place in Mexico City in 2012, rival of Khabir was the Mexican Alberto Guevara. The tribunes drove their pet forward, and he continually attacked the Bashkir. Habir did not give up and dangerously counterattacked in return. As a result, with a small advantage won Guevara, but he himself could be happy with the fight.

Last years

The defeats do not bother the Bashkir warrior. In one of the fights, he added to his collection of belts, winning the title of North American champion WBA NABA USA.

Another distinguishing feature of the boxer is his attachment to his roots. Despite the fact that he was born far from Ufa, Habir Suleymanov always remembers his Bashkir origin and even goes to the ring wearing a warrior's dress in a national costume.