Sam Soliman | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Nickname(s) | King |
Rated at | |
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Reach | 182 cm (72 in) |
Nationality | Australian |
Born |
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
13 November 1973
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 59 |
Wins | 45 |
Wins by KO | 18 |
Losses | 14 |
Sam Soliman (born 13 November 1973) is an Australian professional boxer, and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. In boxing he held the IBF middleweight title in 2014, as well as the Australian cruiserweight title in 1997; the Australian middleweight and super-middleweight titles in 1999; and the Commonwealth middleweight title in 2000.
Soliman is a former world champion in kickboxing, and also competed in Muay Thai.
On 20 April 1997, Soliman made his professional boxing debut, defeating Heath Stenton by four-round unanimous decision (UD). In the first half of his career he would fight for and win a multitude of regional titles, from light-middleweight all the way to cruiserweight. Most notably he won the vacant Commonwealth middleweight title on 19 June 2000, scoring a ninth-round stoppage over Neville Brown. This reign was short-lived, as Soliman would lose a points decision to Howard Eastman a few months later on 16 September. His first world championship opportunity came on 7 March 2007, against Anthony Mundine for the vacant WBA super-middleweight title in an all-Australian showdown. After four knockdowns, Soliman lost by knockout in round nine. In a rematch on 28 May 2008, this time with Mundine as defending champion, Soliman lost by UD.