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Chakaev Knocks Off 2 World Champs to Reach Semifinals

Sunday, October 21, 2018 - 13:11 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungry (October 21) – Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) knocked off two world champions en route to reaching the semifinals at 65kg on Sunday at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Chakaev, a 2016 world bronze medalist, opened with a 7-5 victory over 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER (USA). After a picking up an 8-3 victory over Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB), the Russian squared off against Olympic and world champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO). 

Chakaev dominated Khinchegashvili, picking up a 10-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals. He used two takedowns to go up 4-0 and then broke the match open late in the first period off a four-point takedown. He will now face past cadet world champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), who also won by technical fall in the quarterfinals. 

On the bottom side of the bracket at 65kg, returning world bronze medalist Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) topped three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE).

Valdes Tobier, who pinned Aliyev at the Freestyle World Cup, used a first-period takedown to notch a 2-0 victory over Aliyev on Sunday at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The Cuban carried the momentum in his next two matches, two technical fall victories to earn a spot in tonight's semifinals at 65kg. He will face Bajrang BAJRANG (IND).

The two returning world finalists at 57kg, Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Thomas GILMAN (USA), reached the semifinals. 

The returning world champion Takahashi was pushed in his quarterfinal match, but prevailed 4-1 over Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR). The victory sets him up for a semifinal matchup against Zavur UGUEV (RUS), who shut out U-23 world champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) 6-0. 

Gilman, a silver medalist in Paris, blanked Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) 4-0. His opponent in tonight's semifinals is Asian champion Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ). 

At 92kg, Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), a 2015 world bronze medalist, shut out 2012 Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) in the quarterfinals, and followed it up with a 12-1 technical fall in the quarterfinals over past cadet world champion Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS). In the semifinals he faces Olympic and world bronze medalist J'Den COX (USA).

Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) was unscored upon in two matches to reach the semifinals in the top side of the bracket at 92kg. He now faces Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), a 3-2 winner over Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN).

Competing in his first World Championships, Kyle DAKE (USA) showcased strong par terre in the quarterfinals at 79kg as he dominated 2011 world bronze medalist Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) 11-0. The victory pits him against European champion Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), who shut out Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL) 6-0 in the quarterfinals. 

Olympic bronze medalist Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) advanced to the semifinals at 79kg with a 6-0 win over returning world bronze medalist Ali SHABANAU (BLR).

The semifinals are set to take place at 5:45 p.m. local time. 

Semifinal Matchups 

57kg 
Zavur UGUEV (RUS) vs. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) vs. Thomas GILMAN (USA)

65kg 
Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) vs. Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) vs. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)

79kg 
Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Kyle DAKE (USA)
Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) vs. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)

92kg 
Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) vs. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR)
Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) vs. J'Den COX (USA)

#UWWAwards

UWW Top Ranked Wrestlers of 2025: Verbina, Komarov, Aoyagi

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - 19:03 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 17) -- United World Wrestling has announced the three Best Ranked Wrestlers in 2025. The three wrestlers earned the most ranking points in the year 2025.

The most ranking points in the year 2025 were earned by world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) in Greco-Roman as he scored 83,500 points. In Women's Wrestling, world silver medalist Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) was the highest ranked wrestler as she earned 64,200 points.

In Freestyle, world champion Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) earned 76,900 points, the best among all wrestlers.

Verbina: Women's 55kg

Verbina may not have won the gold medal at the World Championships but she had a busy year, wrestling more often than others. That earned her more ranking points than many as she finished at the top of the rankings in Women's Wrestling.

Her first competition was the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in which she finished fifth for just 4,000 points. In the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania where she finished with a bronze medal that earned her 5,2000 points. She added 10,000 points for her gold medal at the European Championships. Another gold, at the Budapest Ranking Series, added 8,000 points.

Verbina entered the World Championships with 27,200 points. She jumped ahead of many with 37,000 points for her silver medal at 55kg. Her total went up to 64,200 points, taking her past the likes of world champions Sakura ONISHI (JPN) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN). Both finished 1,200 points less than Verbina.

Komarov: Greco 87kg

Komarov began his season with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series and finished fifth, giving him 9,000 points. A similar result at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gave him 9,000 points.

A big boost came at the European Championships in which Komarov won a bronze medal at 87kg to earn 11,500 points. In June, another fifth place finish at the Budapest Ranking Series added 9,000 points to his name to take the total to 38,500 points before the World Championships.

In Zagreb at the Worlds, Komarov won the gold medal and earned a stunning 45,000 points to 83,500 points, the most among all wrestlers and 13,780 points more than second most -- Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB).

Aoyagi: Freestyle 70kg

World champion was the top ranked freestyle wrestler with 76,900 points, 9,600 points more than the second place wrestler.

His first competition was the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in which he bagged the gold medal to earn 11,000 points. He then added a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and earned 9,500 points for the same.

The Budapest Ranking Series gold gave him another 11,000 points, taking his total to 31,500 points before the World Championships. He became a world champion in Zagreb and that gold medal was worth 45,000 points, sending his total to 76,500 points.

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), with 66,900 points, is the second-best wrestler, 9,600 points less than Aoyagi.