Murat Gassiev (Iron) pugile

Murat Georgievich Gassiev (moo-RAD GA-see-yev; Russian: Мурат Георгиевич Гассиев; Ossetian: Гасситы Георгийы фырт Мурат; born 12 October 1993) is a Russian professional boxer from North Ossetia-Alania. He is a former unified cruiserweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2016 to 2018, and the WBA (Unified) title in 2018. As of October 2021, he is ranked as the world's ninth-best active heavyweight by BoxRec.Gassiev is from Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia-Alania, and is of Ossetian Iron descent. He had a short amateur career, consisting of 25 fights.Gassiev made his professional boxing debut at the age of 17 on 21 September 2011. He fought at the Manezh in Vladikavkaz, Russia, beating 22-year-old Roman Mirzoev, who only had three professional win-less fights, in a scheduled four-round fight that went the distance, earning a unanimous decision with scores of 40-37, 39-38, and 39-38 in his favour. Gassiev had his second fight in November at the Traktor Sport Palace in Chelyabinsk, Russia, defeating Vladimir Chuklin, knocking him out in round 4. Over the next 18 months, Gassiev remained unbeaten with a record of 11 wins with 7 coming inside the distance at a tender age of 19.In June 2013, Gassiev defeated 24 year old Levan Jomardashvili (31-10, 21 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC Youth world cruiserweight title at the Yunost Arena in Chelyabinsk. In round 1, Jomardashvili was dropped twice scoring it a 10-7 round for Gassiev and in round 2, the fight was stopped after Jomardashvili was dropped a further two times. Gassiev defended the title in December against Ivica Bacurin 16-3-1, 7 KOs). The fight went the full 10 rounds as Gassiev won via unanimous decision (98-89, 100-87, 96-91). Bacurin was knocked down once in round 2, in round 8 and in round 10. He also had a point deducted in round 10.On 1 February 2014 Gassiev fought veteran 31 year old Belgium boxer Ismail Abdoul 51-27-2, 19 KOs). This was the first 12-round fight Gassiev was involved in and it went the whole distance. The scorecards were read 120-108, 117-111, 115-113 all in favor of Gassiev. With the win, he also won the vacant IBF East/West Europe cruiserweight title. On 30 August 2014 Gassiev fought on the undercard of WBO cruiserweight title fight Huck-Larghetti at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He knocked out the undefeated Leon Harth (9-0, 6 KOs). Two months later, Gassiev won the vacant IBF Inter-Continental cruiserweight title after stopping Engin Karakaplan in round 1. It was in this year that Gassiev began training with Abel Sanchez.