Combat sports and professional wrestling

Ip Ching (叶正)

Ip Ching (葉正, 1936-2020), younger son of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, trained under his father in Hong Kong from 1962, worked in textiles, then taught Ip Man Wing Chun full time from 1994 until his death.

Ip Chun (叶准)

Ip Chun (叶准), born 25 July 1924 in Foshan, is a Hong Kong Wing Chun master, eldest son of Ip Man, who began teaching in Hong Kong in the late 1960s, led the Wing Chun Athletic Association, and was named a Lingnan University Honorary Fellow in 2020.

Ip Man (叶问)

Ip Man (葉問, 1893–1972) was a Foshan-born Wing Chun grandmaster who taught publicly in Hong Kong from 1949 and trained Bruce Lee; since 2008 he is also the subject of the nationalist Ip Man film series and over ten other films.

Ip Man (叶问) (film series)

Ip Man (叶问) film series: four Hong Kong martial arts films (2008–2019) starring Donnie Yen as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, directed by Wilson Yip, with choreography by Sammo Hung and Yuen Woo-Ping, plus the Master Z spin-off.

Ip Man (叶问) (film)

Ip Man (葉問) is a 2008 Hong Kong biographical kung fu film directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen as Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man in Japanese-occupied Foshan; it won the 28th Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film and spawned a four-film franchise.

Ip Man 2 (叶问2)

Ip Man 2 (叶问2：宗师传奇) is a 2010 Wilson Yip martial arts film starring Donnie Yen as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in 1950s Hong Kong, with Sammo Hung as Hung Ga master Hung Chun-nam; it grossed 232.34 million RMB in mainland China, sixth for 2010.

Ip Man 4: The Finale

Ip Man 4: The Finale (叶问4：完结篇) is the 2019 Wilson Yip martial arts film closing Donnie Yen's Ip Man series, set in 1964 San Francisco, grossing $176 million worldwide and winning two Hong Kong Film Awards.

Irakli Tsirekidze

Irakli Tsirekidze (ირაკლი ცირეკიძე) is a Georgian judoka, born in 1982 in Kutaisi, who won the men's middleweight gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after taking the 2007 world title.

Iran Barkley

Iran Barkley, "The Blade" (born 1960, The Bronx), American boxer, 43-19-1 (27 KO), three-division world champion (WBC middleweight, IBF super middleweight, WBA light heavyweight), the only man to beat Thomas Hearns twice; IBHOF Class of 2023.

Irene Aldana

Irene Aldana (born 1988, Culiacán, Mexico) is a UFC women's bantamweight fighter from Lobo Gym, 15-8, who challenged Amanda Nunes for the title at UFC 289 and is known for her right cross and left-hook knockouts.

Irene Camber Corno

Irene Camber Corno was an Italian foil fencer who won individual gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, becoming the first Italian woman to win an Olympic fencing title.

Irina Embrich

Irina Embrich, Estonian épée fencer born 1980 in Tallinn, Olympic team gold at Tokyo 2020, 2024 individual European champion at 43, world team champion 2017, left-handed, career spanning 2002 to 2026.

Iron man match

Iron man match, a professional wrestling match type with a 30- or 60-minute time limit won by most falls; originated in WWF at WrestleMania XII 1996, Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, decided in sudden death overtime.

Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship

The Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座) is a professional wrestling championship owned by Japan's DDT Pro-Wrestling, defended under 24/7 rules allowing anyone or anything, even ladders, to win it.

Iryna Merleni Mykulchyn

Iryna Merleni Mykulchyn (née Melnyk; Ірина Мерлені-Микульчин), Ukrainian freestyle wrestler born 1982; first-ever Olympic champion in women's freestyle wrestling (48 kg, Athens 2004), Beijing 2008 bronze, three-time world champion.

Isaac Cruz

Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz (Isaac Jonathan Cruz González), Mexican boxer born 1998 in Mexico City; 29-3-2 with 19 KOs, former WBA super lightweight champion and current WBC interim titleholder, known for pressure fighting and his 2021 loss to Gervonta Davis.

Isabel Fernandez

Isabel Fernandez (María Isabel Fernández Gutiérrez, born 1972), Spanish judoka, Olympic lightweight gold medalist Sydney 2000, world champion Paris 1997, six-time European champion; not the Spanish archer of the same name.

Isabelle Boeri Begard

Isabelle Boéri-Bégard, born 1960 in Paris, is a French foil fencer who won gold in the women's team foil at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 1980 junior world foil title.

Isamu Sonoda

Isamu Sonoda (園田勇), Japanese judoka (1946–2026) from Yanagawa, Fukuoka; Olympic gold medalist in men's middleweight −80 kg at Montreal 1976 and world champion at Mexico City 1969, with world silver at Lausanne 1973.

Isao Inokuma (猪熊功)

Isao Inokuma (猪熊功), 1938–2001, Japanese judoka; 1964 Tokyo Olympic heavyweight gold and 1965 Rio world open-weight champion; also two-time All-Japan champion and Tokai University coach.

Isao Okano

Isao Okano (岡野功), born 1944, Japanese judoka, 1964 Tokyo Olympic middleweight (-80 kg) champion and 1965 Rio world champion; twice open-weight All Japan champion, later coach and author of Vital Judo.

Islam Beka Albiyev

Islam-Beka Albiyev (Ислам-Бека Альбиев), Russian Greco-Roman wrestler born 1988 in Grozny; 2008 Beijing Olympic champion at 60 kg, youngest Greco-Roman Olympic gold medalist, 2009 world and European champion.

Islam Dulatov (Ислам Дулатов)

Islam Dulatov (Ислам Дулатов), "The Ripper", Chechnya-born German welterweight UFC fighter and former Versace model; 12-1 record, 11 first-round finishes, UFC 318 debut KO of Adam Fugitt, 2025-2026.

Islam Makhachev (Ислам Рамазанович Махачев)

Islam Makhachev (Ислам Рамазанович Махачев), Russian UFC fighter born 1991 in Makhachkala; two-division champion (lightweight 2022, welterweight 2025) and holder of the record for most consecutive UFC wins.

Ismael Borrero

Ismael Borrero Molina, Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler born 1992 in Santiago de Cuba; Olympic gold 2016 Rio at 59 kg, World champion 2015 and 2019; defected in Mexico in 2022 and now coaches USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman team.

Ismail Abilov

Ismail Abilov (Исмаил Абилов), Bulgarian freestyle wrestler, "The Pin Man"; Olympic 82 kg champion at Moscow 1980 with five pins in six wins, world silver 1974 and 1975, three-time European champion.

Ismail Ogan

Ismail Ogan was a Turkish freestyle wrestler who secured silver at the 1960 Rome Olympics and gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, in addition to three World Championship medals.

İsmet Atlı

İsmet Atlı (1931–2014), Turkish freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler from Kozan, Adana. Won light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics by beating Gholam Reza Takhti; 1954 world silver, 1951 Mediterranean Games gold.

Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya, "The Last Stylebender", Nigerian-born New Zealand UFC middleweight champion and former GLORY kickboxer; unified the UFC title by KO of Whittaker at UFC 243, lost and regained it against Alex Pereira, later lost to Strickland and Du Plessis.