Imam Abdulayevich Khataev (Russian: Имам Абдулаевич Хатаев, IPA: [ɪˈmam xɐˈta(ɪ̯)ɪf]; born 31 August 1994) is a Russian boxer.[1] He competed in the men's light heavyweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics,[2] where he was defeated by Briton Benjamin Whittaker by a score of 4–1 in the semifinals.[3]
Imam Khataev was born on August 31, 1994 in Kulary village, Chechen Republic. His first professional trainer was Shamil Batsagov.[4]
In 2015 he participated in the Russian Championship in Samara.[4]
In 2017 he received the title of Master of Sports of international class.[4]
He turned pro in 2021, but continued to compete in the amateur ranks alongside his pro career until 2023, when he won the bronze medal at the World Boxing Championships in Uzbekistan.[5] Since then, he has fought exclusively as a professional.
Khataev won all of his first ten professional fights, including nine by KO. He eventually faced David Morrell on July 12, 2025, in New York City. A former WBA Super-middleweight and light-heavyweight Regular champion, Morrell was considered a major step-up in class for Khataev. On July 8, the International Testing Agency, under the auspicies of the IBA, revealed that Khataev had tested positive for clomifene in April of that year.[6] While Khataev was suspended for two years by the IBA, the bout was allowed to continue, evidently due to the IBA's limited jurisdiction.
Despite knocking Morrell down in the fifth round (the first knockdown of Morrell's career), Khataev lost a controversial 10-round split decision, handing him his first defeat.[7]
| 11 fights | 10 wins | 1 loss |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 9 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Loss | 10–1 | David Morrell Jr. | SD | 10 | 12 Jul 2025 | Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Druval Palacios | UD | 10 | 22 Mar 2025 | Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Yunior Menendez | TKO | 3 (10) 1:30 | 7 Dec 2024 | SC Coliseum, Grozny, Russia | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Ezequiel Maderna | TKO | 7 (10) 0:45 | 5 Sep 2024 | Montreal Casino, Montreal, Canada | Won NABF Light Heavyweight title |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Ričards Bolotņiks | TKO | 6 (10) 1:34 | 11 May 2024 | RAC Arena, Perth, Australia | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Michał Ludwiczak | TKO | 2 (10) 2:17 | 13 Jan 2024 | Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Canada | Won vacant NABF Light Heavyweight title |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Fernando Galvan | TKO | 2 (8) 0:44 | 14 Nov 2023 | Montreal Casino, Montreal, Canada | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | David Benitez | TKO | 3 (8) 2:30 | 11 Oct 2023 | Montreal Casino, Montreal, Canada | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Gi Sung Gwak | TKO | 2 (8) 0:28 | 12 Mar 2023 | Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Adam Trenado | KO | 1 (8) 1:50 | 16 Jul 2022 | Lebane Square, Lebane, Serbia | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Ismat Eynullayev | TKO | 1 (4) 2:03 | 3 Nov 2021 | Grozny, Russia |
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