#Yariguin2019

Yariguin Final Pairings Set for Saturday Night

Friday, January 25, 2019 - 20:50 By Eric Olanowski

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 25) -  The Russian Federation inserted at least one wrestler into the finals in six of the seven weight classes that'll be up for the taking on Saturday night. 

In freestyle, Russia continued to plow through the competition and prove why they’re the most dominant freestyle nation in the world. They followed Friday's three gold medal performances by claiming five of Saturday’s six finals spots. 

Turkish big-man Taha AKGUL, a two-time world and Rio Olympic champion, is the only non-Russian freestyle wrestler that'll compete for a gold medal on Saturday night. He'll wrestle Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) in the 125kg gold-medal match. 

In women’s wrestling, Russia won a pair of gold medals on Friday night and has an opportunity to claim three additional golds on Saturday night when five wrestlers compete in the finals. 

The lone weight class where a non-Russian woman can claim a Yariguin gold medal is at 68kg. This weight class will feature the all-Mongolian battle between 2015 world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg and ENKH AMAR Davaanasan. 

The finals are set to begin on Saturday at 18:00 (local time). 

Finals Matchups

Freestyle 
65kg - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) vs. Nachyn KUULAR (RUS)
79kg - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS)
125kg - Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS)

Women’s Wrestling 
53kg - Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) vs. Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
57kg - Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) vs. Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
62kg - Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS) vs. Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS)
68kg -  Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL) vs. ENKH AMAR Davaanasan (MGL)

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 10:30 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."