Magomed Gasanovich Ismailov is a Russian mixed martial artist, competing in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He has competed professionally since 2011 and is known for his participation in tournaments held by the fighting organizations ACA, Fight Nights, M-1 Global, Kunlun Fight, and others. He is a decorated professional athlete, a world champion in combat sambo, and an international-class Master of Sports. He is a Master of Sports in army hand-to-hand combat and freestyle wrestling. Magomed Ismailov was born in the city of Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast, RSFSR, USSR. His father is Avar, his mother is Kumyk. At the age of seven he moved with his family to Makhachkala, where from the age of twelve he trained seriously in freestyle wrestling, then moved to Moscow, where he trained at the Trudovye Rezervy sports society. He began his sports career as a freestyle wrestler, becoming a bronze medalist at the Dagestan championship, a champion and multiple medalist at Moscow championships, a champion and medalist at international masters tournaments, and a Master of Sports of Russia in freestyle wrestling.

During his service in the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation he mastered the techniques of army hand-to-hand combat and also competed regularly: a medalist at the international memorial tournament of Army General V. F. Margelov, and a Master of Sports of Russia in ARB. After serving in the army he trained in combat sambo under coach Vladimir Otarovich Osiya at the Golden Team martial arts club in Moscow at the Russian University of Cooperation. In 2010 he won a silver medal at the Russian Combat Sambo Championship, and the following year he took gold, winning the Rinat Sadykov Memorial Tournament. In 2012 he won the World Combat Sambo Championship (according to the World Combat Sambo Federation) - for this outstanding achievement he was awarded the honorary title of International-Class Master of Sports of Russia.