Chamizo Climbs to No.1 in World Freestyle Rankings, 4 Russians Top Rankings

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - 03:54 By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (Aug. 1) -- Two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) rose four spots to No.1 at 74kg in the August 2018 Ranking Series for freestyle wrestling.

Chamizo, a world champion last year at 70kg, recently captured a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu with a criteria victory (10-10) over returning world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), avenging a loss from May. Chamizo won a European bronze medal in May, with his lone loss coming to Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) in the semifinals.

Russia leads the pack with four wrestlers ranked No.1 in freestyle. No other country has multiple top-ranked wrestlers in the freestyle rankings. Russia's No.1-ranked wrestlers include Zavur UGUEV (57kg), Ilias BEKBULATOV (65kg), Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg) and Vladislav BAITCAEV (97kg).

Both Uguev and Bekbulatov won gold medals at the Yarygin Grand Prix and Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournaments, and both finished as silver medalists at the European Championships. Gadzhimagomedov won a gold at the European Championships, as well as gold medals at the Yarygin Grand Prix and Kolov-Petrov tournaments. Baitcaev claimed his first European title earlier this year, and was also a World Military champion.

Fresh off winning a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu, Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) sits atop the world rankings at 92kg. He won his Yasar Dogu gold by narrowly defeating fellow Iranian Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI on criteria. Earlier this year Ebrahimizivlaei won a gold medal at the Asian Championships.

Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) holds his No.1 ranking at 125kg after winning a bronze medal at the Yasar Dogu this past weekend. Gwiazdowski, a returning world bronze medalist, won a Pan American gold medal in May and an Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix gold in January.

Other top-ranked freestyle wrestlers include Asian bronze medalist Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) at 61kg, Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) at 70kg and Fatih ERDIN (TUR) at 86kg.

The final Ranking Series event is the Medved, which takes place Sept. 14-16 in Minsk, Belarus.

For more on the Ranking Series format, be sure to check out this article.

View all the rankings on United World Wrestling's homepage.

57kg
1. Zavur UGUEV (RUS) // 42 Points
2. Thomas GILMAN (USA) // 36 Points
3. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) // 32 Points
4. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) // 32 Points
5. Khuresh Ool DONDUK OOL (RUS) // 30 Points

61kg
1. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) // 49 Points
2. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) // 42 Points
3. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) // 41 Points
4. Mirjalal HASAN ZADA (AZE) // 31 Points
5. Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA) (KAZ) // 24 Points

65kg
1. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) // 45 Points
2. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) // 45 Points
3. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) // 40 Points
4. Mehran Akbar NASIRIAFRACHALI (IRI) // 39 Points
5. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) // 39 Points

70kg
1. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) // 51 Points
2. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) // 44 Points
3. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) // 43 Points
4. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) // 35 Points
5. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) // 31 Points

74kg
1. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) // 44 Points
2. Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) // 37 Points
3. Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) // 37 Points
4. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) // 32 Points
5. Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) // 30 Points

79kg
1. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 42 Points
2. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) // 36 Points
3. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) // 31 Points
4. Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) // 30 Points
5. Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR) // 30 Points

86kg
1. Fatih ERDIN (TUR) // 76 Points
2. David TAYLOR III (USA) // 62 Points
3. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) // 46 Points
4. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) // 41 Points
5. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) // 37 Points

92kg
1. Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) // 51 Points
2. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) // 41 Points
3. Serdar BOKE (TUR) // 40 Points
4. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) // 32 Points
5. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) // 29 Points

97kg
1. Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) // 38 Points
2. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) // 37 Points
3. Magomed Idrisovitch IBRAGIMOV (UZB) // 36 Points
4. Mojtaba Mohammadshafie GOLEIJ (IRI) // 35 Points
5. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) // 31 Points

125kg
1. Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) // 48 Points
2. Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR) // 40 Points
3. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) // 37 Points
4. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) // 35 Points
5. Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) // 35 Points

2026 Muhamet Malo

'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return

Thursday, February 26, 2026 - 21:58 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- World champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) could have challenged him. Up-and-coming Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) could have caused trouble. Or maybe Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) would have caused an upset.

None of that happened. A calm and composed Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) marked his return to the mat with yet another gold medal, winning the 97kg weight class at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event on Thursday in Tirana, Albania.

It has become increasingly rare to see Sadulaev wrestle internationally, but when he does, the results tend to be a foregone conclusion. Sadulaev last wrestled at a global event at the same Feti Borova Arena in Tirana in October 2024 when he claimed his sixth world title, stunningly dropping to 92kg.

After 15 months, he was back -- at 97kg and, the top of the podium.

"Thank you to everyone who supported me, those in the arena and those watching on TV and smartphones," Sadulaev said. "Everyone who cheered, worried, and prayed for me. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you."

When Sadulaev stepped on the mat on Thursday, he rolled back the years. Right hand on his opponent's forehand, circling while standing tall. He would throw himself back if someone tried to attack his legs and then get a front headlock to score.

A true throwback in Tirana would have been a Sadulaev and Snyder clash but Khaniev decided to postpone that for now by beating the United States wrestler in the quarterfinals. Sadulaev got Khaniev in the final.

He was the first on board with a double-leg attack which gave him four points. He then made Khaniev toil to find an opening and when he did, Sadulaev defended like a rock. Khaniev was able to score only through stepouts -- managing four points from it while Sadulaev added three more takedowns to finish the final 10-4.

While the gold medal was a satisfactory result for Sadulaev, there was an added incentive that he was chasing.

"For me, this gold means qualifying for the European Championships, which will take place here in this same arena in two months, in April. It was very important for me to qualify there," he said.

Sadulaev, if he competes, will be at the European Championships after six years having last competed at the tournament in 2020. He won gold medal at 97kg in Rome.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) scores on Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) in the 97kg final in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The final against Khaniev was a virtual wrestle-off to win the spot for the continental championships, to be held from April 20 to 26. And despite beating Khaniev, Sadulaev was all praise for the youngster.

"Khaniev is young and promising," he said. "I thought we might meet before the final, but [because of the bracket] we faced each other only in the final.

"I know him well, we train in the same region, we’ve been at training camps together and worked side by side. He’s very tough, with a really good stamina. He hasn’t gained that much experience yet, but I believe he has everything ahead of him."

Khaniev, making his debut at 97kg internationally, sprung a surprise when he defeated Snyder 10-4, using some crafty counters in the second period. He also defeated Magomedov in the semifinals.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) completes a fireman's carry move. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

However, Sadulaev isn't reading much into Snyder's loss as the U.S. wrestler had lost to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) in Tirana but went on to win the world gold in September.

"At tournaments like this, he [Snyder] usually doesn’t come in at peak form the way he does for the World Championships or the Olympic Games, where he’s been in his best shape," Sadulaev said. "So this loss doesn’t really say much. Maybe he will win the next World Championships."

The World Championships in Manama, Bahrain is scheduled in October and there is a good chance that both Sadulaev and Snyder will be there. But Sadulaev is hoping for a more decorated field.

"If everything goes well and I make it for the World Championships, four Olympic champions could compete in this weight class [in Bahrain] -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Kyle [SNYDER] and Ahmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and myself, and other medalists," he said. "I think it will be the most competitive and exciting weight category."

Sadulaev, in his subtle humor, would go on.

"It’s hot enough there [Bahrain], but I think at the World Championships, it will be even hotter."

Chamizo Climbs to No.1 in World Freestyle Rankings, 4 Russians Top Rankings

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'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return