Little is known of his early life prior to his first wrestling appearance in 1894, however, according to Scottish wrestling historian William Baxter, Yusuf Ismail was born Youssuf Ishmaelo in Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire) in 1857 to a Muslim Turkish family.
Ismail first came to prominence when he won the Kırkpınar Tournament in 1887.
Edmond Desbonnet claimed in his book Les Rois de la Lutte (1910) that the Turkish invasion began in 1894 after a wrestler named Joseph Doublier was defeated by a rival, Sabès.
In search of someone who could defeat Sabès, Doublier visited Turkey and brought back three wrestlers: Kara Osman, Nurullah Hasan, and the 6'2", 250-pound Yusuf Ismail.
Doublier had also brought Katrancı Mehmet Pehlivan and Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan to Paris a while before.
In his Paris debut, Ismail defeated Sabès in four seconds.
Sabès had attempted to use a front belt hold, but Ismail withstood the hold and pinned him using a chokehold.

Ismail spent the next three years in France, where he dominated opponents.
A colorful figure, he was also known for his fierce pride.
When rivals Antonio Pierri and Tom Cannon threatened to bring in a wrestler to defeat him, Ismail reportedly said he would cut his own throat if he was ever beaten.
His match against another fellow Turk, Ibrahim Mahmut, was said to be one of the "most brutal bouts ever seen on the mat" at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris.
Ismail became so enraged during the match that he tore at Mahmut's nostrils, broke his ribs, and twisted his arms.
Although referee Tom Cannon had attempted to stop the match, only the intervention of a police inspector and six officers along with several spectators were able to separate the two.
Kara Osman had been originally scheduled to face Ismail but had fallen ill, and Mahmut had taken his place.
According to a rumor heard by French promoter Joseph Doublier, Osman had actually withdrawn from the match because he feared for his life because of an unspecified grudge between Ismail and himself.
Little is known of his early life prior to his first wrestling appearance in 1894, however, according to Scottish wrestling historian William Baxter, Yusuf Ismail was born Youssuf Ishmaelo in Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire) in 1857 to a Muslim Turkish family. Ismail first came to prominence when he won the Kırkpınar Tournament in 1887. Edmond Desbonnet claimed in his book Les Rois de la Lutte (1910) that the Turkish invasion began in 1894 after a wrestler named Joseph Doublier was defeated by a rival, Sabès. In search of someone who could defeat Sabès, Doublier visited Turkey and brought back three wrestlers: Kara Osman, Nurullah Hasan, and the 6'2", 250-pound Yusuf Ismail. Doublier had also brought Katrancı Mehmet Pehlivan and Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan to Paris a while before. In his Paris debut, Ismail defeated Sabès in four seconds. Sabès had attempted to use a front belt hold, but Ismail withstood the hold and pinned him using a chokehold.
Ismail spent the next three years in France, where he dominated opponents. A colorful figure, he was also known for his fierce pride. When rivals Antonio Pierri and Tom Cannon threatened to bring in a wrestler to defeat him, Ismail reportedly said he would cut his own throat if he was ever beaten. His match against another fellow Turk, Ibrahim Mahmut, was said to be one of the "most brutal bouts ever seen on the mat" at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris. Ismail became so enraged during the match that he tore at Mahmut's nostrils, broke his ribs, and twisted his arms. Although referee Tom Cannon had attempted to stop the match, only the intervention of a police inspector and six officers along with several spectators were able to separate the two. Kara Osman had been originally scheduled to face Ismail but had fallen ill, and Mahmut had taken his place. According to a rumor heard by French promoter Joseph Doublier, Osman had actually withdrawn from the match because he feared for his life because of an unspecified grudge between Ismail and himself.
Yusuf İsmail