CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (December 8) – Haji ALIEV (AZE) was the only world champ to add an international title in the wake of September’s world championships, leading all eight Las Vegas title holders into 2016 at the top of the United World Wrestling rankings for Freestyle.

Two-time world champion Aliev won at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku, edging European Games gold medalist Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) in the semifinals, 3-2, to underscore his position as the world’s premier featherweight in freestyle and finish atop the 61kg rankings.

Five of the eight freestyle world champions have been taking well-deserved breaks from competition since winning in Las Vegas, while Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) made appearances at the European Nations Cup team competition.

Sadulaev, considered by many wrestling fans the top pound-for-pound wrestler in freestyle today, moved up to 97kg for the Nations Cup meet and notched a technical fall for Russia over European Games silver medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO).

And, while most of the world champs were enjoying their holiday from competition, a number of silver and bronze medalists enjoyed only mixed success in the aftermath of the world meet.

Soslan RAMONOV (RUS), the world champion at 65kg in 2014, had to settle for a bronze medal in Baku after winning at the World Military Games in October and slumped one place to No.5 in the rankings.

Other wrestlers who were not able to compete in Las Vegas were also whetting their skills as they look ahead to their respective national team trials for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Among these, five-time world champion Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) returned to 97kg for the military games crown after spending most of the last two years at super heavyweight. With the victory, Gatsalov returned to the rankings at No.11 – the biggest leap in the yearend rankings.

The final rankings for 2015 take into account as many events on the United World Wrestling calendar as possible with the world championships given the largest consideration followed by continental competitions and the grand prix events on the calendar.
 
The top six wrestlers in each weight category at the world championships had been awarded the top six positions in September, but a handful of those positions were reevaluated in light of head-to-head encounters in October and November.
 
The bulk of the rankings from No.7 to No.20 were determined, in part, by a wrestler’s performance in Las Vegas along with results in competition throughout 2015.
 
Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings.

57kg – Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) bagged his fourth title of 2015 with a 5-2 win over world bronze medalist ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) in the GGP Final in Baku and climbs four to No.4, just behind world bronze medalist and compatriot Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS).
 
1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (8)
5. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – GGP Final No.2 (4)
6. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – World No.5 (5)
7. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – World No.5 (7)
8. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – Pan American Games No.1 (7)
9. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (9)
10. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – Ziolkowski No.3 (10)
11. Asadulla LACHINOV (BLR) – World No.7 (11)
12. Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) – Ziolkowski No.3 (12)
13. Anthony RAMOS (USA) – Paris Grand Prix No.1 (13)
14. Amit KUMAR (IND) – World No.13 (14)
15. Makhir AMIRSLANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (18)
16. Adama DIATTA (SEN) – All-African Games No.1 (16)
17. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – European Games No.3 (15)
18. Otari GOGAVA (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (not ranked)
19. John PINEDA (CAN) – Paris GP No.3 (17)
20. KIM Sung-Gwon (KOR) – Spanish GP No.1 (19)

61kg – Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR), who grabbed a bronze medal in Las Vegas with four hard-fought wins, stumbled in his opening bout in Baku to Asia champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) and slipped to No.5 in the rankings.

1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – World No.1 (1)
2. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) – World No.2 (2)
3. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – World No.3 (4)
4. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – European Games No.1 (7)
5. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – World No.3 (3)
6. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) – World No.5 (5)
7. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – World No.5 (6)
8. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) – European Games No.2 (7)
9. Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) – Medved Prizes No.1 (9)
10. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) – Asia No.2 (10)
11. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (11)
12. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – GGP Final No.3 (13)
13. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (14)
14. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.2 (14)
15. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) – GGP Final No.2 (17)
16. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (16)
17. Reece HUMPHREY (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (15)
18. YANG Jae-Hoon (KOR) – World No.10 (18)
19. Radolsav VELIKOV (BUL) – European Games No.5 (19)
20. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (20)

65kg – Former European champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) struck gold at the World Military Games in October and the Golden Grand Prix Final in November to return to the top 10 in the rankings, at No.8, after slumping to 13th in September.

Logan STIEBER (USA) returned to international competition after 18 months in November for a pair of silver medals, most notably in Baku where he upended 2014 world champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) before falling to Kurbanaliev in the gold medal bout.

1. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) – World No.2 (2)
3. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
4. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) – European Games No.1 (5)
5. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – World No.3 (4)
6. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – World No.5 (6)
7. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)
8. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – GGP Final (13)
9. George BUCUR (ROU) – Ziolkowski No.2 (8)
10. Brent METCALF (USA) – Pan Am Games No.1 (9)
11. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) – World No.9 (10)
12. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (12)
13. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (11)
14. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (15)
15. Logan STIEBER (USA) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
16. YEERLANBIEKE Katal (CHN) – Spanish GP No.3 (16)
17. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – European Games No.3 (17)
18. Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (nr)
19. Alibeggadzhi EMEEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.2 (nr)
20. James KENNEDY (USA) – Intercontinental Cup, No.2 (nr)

70kg – Asia champion Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) grabbed an 8-8 triumph on criteria from European Games gold medalist Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) for the GGP Final title and a small promotion to No.6 in the rankings.

1. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.3 (3)
4. James GREEN (USA) – World No.3 (4)
5. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
6. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – GGP Final No.1 (8)
7. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Kunaev International No.1 (7)
8. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (6)
9. David TLASHADZE (GEO) – World No.7 (10)
10. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – European Games No.3 (8)
11. Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (11)
12. Khalil AMINOV (RUS) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (nr)
13. Evgeni ZHERBAEV (RUS) – Dmitri Korkin No.1 (nr)
14. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) – World No.8 (17)
15. Georgi ZLATOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (13)
16. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (14)
17. Ayad IBRAHIM (EGY) – African Games No.1 (nr)
18. Takafumi KOJIMA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (15)
19. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (16)
20. LING Haiwei (CHN) – Ziolkowski No.5 (18)

74kg – GGP Final defending champion Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) stopped 2014 world champion Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) to bound seven places to No.13. Tsabolov had earlier stopped Ali Aliev winner Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) in the semifinals to advance five steps himself to No.9. 
 
1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – World No.3 (2)
3. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – World No.2 (3)
4. Narasingh YADAV (IND) – World No.3 (4)
5. Alireza GHASEMI (IRI) – Ziolkowski No.1 (5)
6. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) – World No.5 (6)
7. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Pan Am Games No.3 (7)
8. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – European Games No.3 (8)
9. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.3 (14)
10. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – European Games No.2 (11)
11. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (9)
12. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (10)
13. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (20)
14. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (nr)
15. Georg HARTH (GER) – World Military Games No.2 (nr)
16. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Granma Cup No.1 (12)
17. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (13)
18. Innokenti INNOKENTYEV (KGZ) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (nr)
19. Galimzhan USSERBAEV (KAZ) – World Military Games No.3 (nr)
20. Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ) – Ali Aliev No.3 (nr)

86kg – Ali Aliev runner-up Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) racked up three international titles, including the Intercontinental Cup in October, and moved ahead of Ali Aliev winner Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) in the rankings at No.10.

Kudiyamagomedov, the 2014 GGP Final titlist 15 months ago, fell in the opening round in Baku to Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) and was forced to settle for ninth place overall. World and Olympic Games bronze medalist Lashgari returned to international competition in Baku with another bronze.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (4)
4. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
5. Magomedhadshi KHATIEV (AZE) – World No.5 (5)
6. Mikhail GANEV (BUL) – World No.5 (6)
7. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – World No.7 (7)
8. Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) – World No.10 (8)
9. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Pan Am Games No.1 (9)
10. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (11)
11. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (10)
12. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.2 (12)
13. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (nr)
14. Piotr IANULOV (MDA) – European Games No.2 (13)
15. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) – European Games No.3 (15)
16. Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
17. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
18. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) – Asia No.2 (14)
19. Ed RUTH (USA) – Farrell Memorial No.1 (nr)
20. William HARTH (GER) – Dan Kolov No.1 (18)

97kg – European Games silver medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) edged world bronze medalist Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) as well as London 2012 gold medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) to close out his 2015 campaign with a triumph in the GGP Final and a No.4 in the rankings.

World and Olympic Games champion Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS), who turns 33 on December 11, returned to 97kg for the first time in over a year to win at the World Military Games and earn No.11 in the rankings.

1. Kyle SNYDER (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.2 (2)
3. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – World No.3 (3)
4. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – GGP Final No.1 (6)
5. Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) – World No.3 (4)
6. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (7)
7. Abbas TAHAN (IRI) – World No.5 (6)
8. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – European Games No.3 (8)
9. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – Ali Aliev No.1 (9)
10. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (10)
11. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World Military Games No.1 (nr)
12. Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (11)
13. KIM Jae-Gang (KOR) – Asia No.3 (12)
14. Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN) – Pan Am Games No.3 (13)
15. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – World Military Games No.2 (nr)
16. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – Olympia No.1 (14)
17. Mohamedhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – Asia No.1 (15)
18. Akhmed BATAEV (RUS) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (nr)
19. Stefan KEHRER (GER) – Ion Corneanu No.1 (17)
20. Arslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)

125kg – World bronze medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) took the GGP Final title by default over Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), who aggravated an old back injury during the competition in Baku. Magomedov holds onto the No.2 ranking by virtue his technical fall victory win over Petriashvili in the Vegas semifinals.

1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (3)
4. Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) – World No.3 (4)
5. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) – World No.5 (5)
6. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – World No.5 (6)
7. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (7)
8. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – European Games No.2 (8)
9. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Asia No.1 (9)
10. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – Ramzan Kadyrov No.1 (11)
11. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Asia No.2 (10)
12. David MODZMANASHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.1 (12)
13. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (13)
14. Zachery REY (USA) – Pan Am Games No.1 (17)
15. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (14)
16. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – GGP Final No.3 (19)
17. Nick MATUHIN (GER) – Ziolokowski No.3 (18)
18. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) – Dan Kolov No.1 (16)
19. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – Paris GP No.1 (20)
20. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR) – Intercontinental Cup No.3 (nr)

57 کیلوگرم

1- ولادمیر خینچیگاشویلی (گرجستان)-  نفر اول جهان (1)

2- حسن رحیمی (ایران)- نفر دوم جهان (2)

3- ویکتور لبدوف (روسیه)- نفر سوم جهان (3)

4- اسماعیل موسوکائف (روسیه)- قهرمان فینال جایزه بزرگ (8)

5- بخبایار اردنبات (مغولستان)- نفر دوم فینال جایزه بزرگ (4)

6- جونگ هاک جین (کره شمالی)- نفر پنجم جهان (5)

7- آرتاس سانا (قزاقستان)- نفر پنجم جهان (7)

8- یولیس بونه رودریگز (کوبا)- قهرمان پان آمریکن (7)

9- یوکی تاکاهاشی (ژاپن)- قهرمان زیلکوفسکی (9)

10- زهیر الکاراکه (فرانسه)- نفر سوم زیلکوفسکی (10)

61 کیلوگرم

1- حاجی علی اف (آذربایجان)- قهرمان جهان (1)

2- نومین باتبولد (مغولستان)- نفر دوم جهان (2)

3- ولادمیر دوبوف (بلغارستان)- نفر سوم جهان (4)

4- الکساندر بوگوموئف (روسیه)- قهرمان بازیهای اروپایی (7)

5- واسیل شوپتار (اوکراین)- نفر سوم جهان (3)

6- ماساکازو کاموئی (ژاپن)- نفر پنجم جهان (5)

7- بارجانگ بارجانگ (هند)- نفر پنجم جهان (6)

8- بکا لومتادزه (گرجستان)- نفر دوم بازیهای اروپایی (7)

9- ولودیا فرانگولیان (ارمنستان)- قهرمان جام مدوید (9)

10- بهنام احسان پور (ایران)- نفر دوم آسیا (10)

11- منیر رجب آکتاش (ترکیه)- نفر دوم یاشاردوغو (11)

12- دولت نیازبکوف (قزاقستان)- نفر سوم جایزه بزرگ باکو (13)

13- جمال اوتارسلطانوف (روسیه)- قهرمان یاشاردوغو (14)

14- بخان گویگریف (روسیه)- نفر دوم جام مدوید (14)

15- ایمان صادقی (ایران)- نفر دوم جایزه بزرگ باکو (17)

86 کیلوگرم

1- عبدالرشید سعدالله یف (روسیه)- قهرمان جهان (1)

2- سلیم یاشار (ترکیه)- نفر دوم جهان (2)

3- ساندرو آمیناشویلی (گرجستان)- نفر سوم جهان (4)

4- علیرضا کریمی (ایران)- نفر سوم جهان (3)

5- ماگومد حاجی خاتیف (آذربایجان)- نفر پنجم جهان (5)

6- میهایل گانف (بلغارستان)- نفر پنجم جهان (6)

7- ابراگیم آلداتوف (اوکراین)- نفر هفتم جهان (7)

8- پدرو سبالوس فونتس (ونزوئلا)- نفر دهم جهان (8)

9- رینری سالاس پرز (کوبا)- قهرمان پان آمریکن (9)

10- دارن کوروگلیف (روسیه)- قهرمان جام کانایف (11)

11- شامیل کودای ماگومداف(روسیه)- قهرمان جام علی‌اف (10)

12- اورگودول اویتومن (مغولستان)- نفر دوم جام یاریگین (12)

13- الکساندر گوستیف (آذربایجان)- قهرمان جایزه بزرگ باکو (خارج از رنکینگ)

14- پیوتر یانولوف (مولداوی)- نفر دوم بازیهای اروپایی (13)

15- رادوسلاو مارسینکویچ (لهستان)- نفر سوم بازیهای اروپایی (15)

16- نورماگومد گاجیف (آذربایجان)- نفر دوم جایزه بزرگ باکو (خارج از رنکینگ)

17- احسان لشگری (ایران)- نفر سوم جایزه بزرگ باکو (خارج از رنکینگ)

97 کیلوگرم

1- کایل اسنایدر (آمریکا)- قهرمان جهان (1)

2- عبدالسلام گادیسوف (روسیه)- نفر دوم جهان (2)

3- ختاگ گازیموف (آذربایجان)- نفر سوم جهان (3)

4- الیزبار اودیکادزه (گرجستان)- قهرمان جایزه بزرگ باکو (6)

5- پاولو اولینیک (اوکراین)- نفر سوم جهان (4)

6- شریف شریف اف (آذربایجان)- نفر دوم جایزه بزرگ باکو (7)

7- عباس طحان (ایران)- نفر پنجم جهان (6)

8- والری آندریتسف (اوکراین)- نفر سوم بازیهای اروپایی (8)

9- رادوسلاو باران (لهستان) قهرمان جام علی اف (9)

10- ماگومد موسایف (قرقیزستاتن)- نفر دوم آسیا (10)

125 کیلوگرم

1- طاها آکگول (ترکیه)- قهرمان جهان (1)

2- جمال الدین ماگومداف (آذربایجان)- نفر دوم جهان (2)

3- گنو پتریاشویلی (گرجستان)- نفر سوم جهان (3)

4- بلال ماخوف (روسیه)- نفر سوم جهان (4)

5- لوان بریانیدزه (ارمنستان)- نفر پنجم جهان (5)

6- جارگالسایخان چولونبات (مغولستان)- نفر پنجم جهان (6)

7- پرویز هادی (ایران)- قهرمان جام تختی (7)

8- الکسی شیماروف (بلاروس)- نفر دوم بازیهای اروپایی (8)

9- آیال لازاریف (قرقیزستان)- قهرمان آسیا (9)

10- مرادین کوشکوف (روسیه)- قهرمان جام غدیراف (11)

11- کمیل قاسمی (ایران)- نفر دوم آسیا (10)