Magomed Ismailov was born June 21, 1986, in the town of Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast to an avarian-born father and a kumuk-born mother. At the age of 7 he moved with his family to Mahachkala, where he started to go in for free wrestling at the age of 12, then he moved to Moscow and trained at the sport society «Labour reserve».
Amateur career
He started his sport career as a free wrestler, won bronze medal at Dagestan championship, He is a champion and multiple prizewinner of Moscow tournaments, champion and prizewinner of international tournaments, master of sports in Russia at the Freestyle wrestling. He learn the military hand-to-hand combat at Russian army and also took part in tournaments: he is a prizewinner of the International memorial tournament army General V. F. Margelov, Master of sports in Army hand-to-hand combat. After the demobilization he started to go in for combat sambo under his trainer Vladimir Osia at Moscow fighting club Golden Team. In 2010 he won the bronze medal at Russian combat sambo championship, and won the gold the next year, won at the Rinat Sadikov memorial championship. In 2012 he won the Combat sambo World championship — for which he was awarded as the «Master of sports in Russia, International class».
Professional career
He made his professional debut in mixed martial arts in March 2011, with the help of a strangulation from behind he made his opponent to surrender in 2nd round. At first he performed at large Russian fight organization M-1 Global, where he participated in 5 fights, 4 wins — was defeated only by strong Russian fighter Anatolyi Tokov, by whom he was caught on the reverse knot of the elbow in the 1st round and had to capitulate. In 2012 he took part in the first ever Russian MMA championship, which he won in the light heavyweight category, in the Final he defeated Rashid Yousupov. In 2014—2017 he participated in small promotional fights, winning almost all of them, except the match against French fighter Xavier Fupa-Pokam at the 100% Fight 20 in France. The referees separate solution was controversial. Since 2018 he cooperates with Russian organization Fight Nights Global. He won by knockout in the short notice match against Brazilian fighter Ildemar Alcantara in the 1st round. In the autumn of 2018 he matched in the main fight of the night against Vladimir Mineev. The fight lasted all 5 rounds and ended by draw in separate solution.
