BOXERS from Uzbekistan

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Uzbekistani Boxers of all time. This list of famous Uzbekistani Boxers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Uzbekistani Boxers.

1. Ruslan Chagaev (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 42.94, Ruslan Chagaev is the most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.

Ruslan Shamilevich Chagaev (Tatar: Руслан Шамил улы Чагаев; Uzbek: Ruslan Shamilovich Chagayev; Russian: Руслан Шамилович Чагаев); born 19 October 1978) is an Uzbekistani former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2016. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title twice (Regular version in his second reign) and was the first Asian boxer to win a world heavyweight title by any of the four major sanctioning bodies. He was ranked as a top 10 heavyweight or contender by The Ring magazine at the conclusion of each year between 2006 and 2015; at the end of 2008 he was ranked third, only behind the Klitschko brothers. Chagaev is one of a few professional boxers to resume his amateur boxing career after a few professional bouts in 1997. He was reinstated as an amateur by the AIBA the following year as his professional bouts were declared exhibitions. As an amateur, Chagaev won gold medals at the 2001 World Championships and 1999 Asian Championships, in the heavyweight and super-heavyweight divisions respectively. In 2007, Chagaev defeated then-unbeaten Nikolai Valuev to win his first WBA heavyweight title and would make two successful defences. Due to injuries and being unable to grant Valuev a rematch in 2009, the WBA stripped Chagaev of the title. He went on to suffer his first professional loss in the same year to unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Chagaev won the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title by defeating Fres Oquendo in 2014. He made one successful defence before losing the title to Lucas Browne in 2016. However, after Browne failed a drug test, the WBA reinstated Chagaev as champion, but he was once again stripped of the title in July of that year after failing to pay sanctioning fees. On 28 July 2016, he announced his retirement from boxing due to ongoing eye injuries.

2. Artur Grigorian (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 39.38, Artur Grigorian is the 2nd most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Artur Razmikovich Grigorian (Armenian: Արթուր Գրիգորյան; born 20 October 1967) is a retired Armenian-Uzbek professional boxer. Grigorian is a former WBO lightweight champion. He defended his title against record-breaking 17 boxers, and held it for seven years, six months and twenty days; nearly as long as record holder Benny Leonard held his lightweight title (7 years, 8 months).

3. Muhammad Abdullaev (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 39.13, Muhammad Abdullaev is the 3rd most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Mohammadqodir Abdullaev (Uzbek: Muhammadqodir Abdullayev; born 15 November 1973), best known as Muhammad Abdullaev, is an Uzbekistani former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2011, and challenged once for the WBO light-welterweight title in 2005. As an amateur he won gold medals in the light welterweight division at the 1999 World Championships and 2000 Olympics, where he served as the Olympic flag bearer for Uzbekistan.

4. Bakhodir Jalolov (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 36.18, Bakhodir Jalolov is the 4th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Bakhodir Isomiddin oʻgʻli Jalolov (Uzbek: Bahodir Isomiddin oʻgʻli Jalolov; born 8 July 1994) is an Uzbek professional boxer who won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships, and gold medals at the 2019 World Championships, 2023 World Championships, 2020 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Olympics. He also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and acted as Uzbekistan's flag bearer at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

5. Utkirbek Haydarov (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 34.34, Utkirbek Haydarov is the 5th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Utkirbek Haydarov (Уткирбек Хайдаров; born January 25, 1974, in Andijon) is an Uzbekistani boxer who competed in the light heavyweight (81 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal.

6. Murodjon Akhmadaliev (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 32.37, Murodjon Akhmadaliev is the 6th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Murodjon Kakharovich Akhmadaliev (Uzbek: Murodjon Qahhorovich Ahmadaliyev; born 2 November 1994), also known as MJ, is an Uzbekistani professional boxer. He is a former unified super-bantamweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), and IBF titles between 2020 and 2023. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships and a bronze at the 2016 Olympics as a bantamweight.

7. Rustam Saidov (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 30.36, Rustam Saidov is the 7th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Rustam Saidov (Рустам Саидов; born 6 February 1978) is a boxer from Uzbekistan, who competed in the Super Heavyweight (+91 kg) at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal.

8. Adilbek Niyazymbetov (b. 1989)

With an HPI of 30.05, Adilbek Niyazymbetov is the 8th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Adilbek Sabituly Niyazymbetov (Kazakh: Әділбек Сәбитұлы Ниязымбетов; born 19 May 1989) is an Uzbekistani-born amateur light-heavyweight boxer who competes for Kazakhstan. He won silver medals at the world championships in 2011 and 2013 and at the Summer Olympics in 2012 and 2016.

9. Shakhram Giyasov (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 28.43, Shakhram Giyasov is the 9th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Shakhram Djamshedovich Giyasov (born 7 July 1993) is an Uzbek professional boxer. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics as a welterweight.

10. Abbos Atoev (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 27.92, Abbos Atoev is the 10th most famous Uzbekistani Boxer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Abbos Abdurazzoqovich Atoyev (born 7 June 1986) is an amateur boxer from Uzbekistan, best known for winning gold in the light heavyweight competition at the 2007 World Championships where he defeated and upset heavy favourite Artur Beterbiev which to this was his only loss, and at middleweight in 2009. He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He fights southpaw and was born in the village of Qulkhatib of Vabkent District of Bukhara Province.