rankings

Yazdani Charati Takes Over Top Ranking in Freestyle

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (March 8) -- Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI), fresh off winning a gold medal at the Asian Championships in Bishkek, takes over the No.1 ranking at 86kg in freestyle. 



Mongolia has four No.1-ranked wrestlers in freestyle, which is more than any other nation. Top-ranked Mongolians in freestyle include Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (57kg), Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (74kg), Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (92kg) and Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (125kg).

Other top-ranked wrestlers in freestyle include Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) at 61kg, Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) at 65kg, Ogbonna JOHN (NGR) at 70kg, Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) at 79kg and Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB).

Winners of the Ranking Series events each received 8 points, plus an additional point for ever entry in their bracket. Placement points (plus number entries) were also awarded to the rest of the top five finishers: runner-up (6), bronze (4) and fifth place (2).

Points will be automatically uploaded on the UWW homepage following the conclusion of all Ranking Series events, continental and world championships.

In case of a points tie between two or more athletes, the following will determine the highest ranked individual:

-              Highest number of participation in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Gold Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Silver Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Bronze Medals in the ranking events*
-              The most classification points in the ranking events*
-              The most match won by superiority in the ranking events*
-              The most technical points scored in the ranking events*

* Continental Championship and UWW Select Ranking Events of the concerned year.

Should top seeded athletes not participate in the Senior World Championships or Olympic Games the same criteria will be applied to determine which athletes move into the seeding for the event.

57kg
1. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) // 32 Points
2. Kumsong KANG (PRK) // 26 Points
3. Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB) // 24 Points
4. Zhandos ISMAILOV (KAZ) // 22 Points
5. Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) // 22 Points

61kg
1. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) // 32 Points
2. Nurislam (Artas) // SANAYEV (SANAA) // (KAZ) // 24 Points
3. Kazuya KOYANAGI (JPN) // 22 Points
4. Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) // 20 Points
5. Adama DIATTA (SEN) // 19 Points

65kg 
1. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) // 26 Points
2. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) // 24 Points
3. Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) // 22 Points
4. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) // 22 Points
5. Amas DANIEL (NGR) // 21 Points

70kg
1. Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR) // 24 Points
2. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) // 24 Points
3. Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY) // 22 Points
4. Seungbong LEE (KOR) // 22 Points
5. Chems Eddine BOUCHAIB (ALG) // 20 Points

74kg
1. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) // 32 Points
2. Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) // 30 Points
3. Muslim EVLOEV (KGZ) // 24 Points
4. Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) // 20 Points
5. Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) // 20 Points

79kg
1. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) // 31 Points
2. Ezzatollah Abbas AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) // 24 Points
3. Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) // 20 Points
4. Tsubasa ASAI (JPN) // 20 Points
5. Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) // 20 Points

86kg
1. Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) // 24 Points
2. Melvin BIBO (NGR) // 23 Points
3. Uitumen ORGODOL (MGL) // 22 Points
4. Hein Jakobus JANSE VAN RENSBURG (RSA) // 21 Points
5. David TAYLOR III (USA) // 20 Points

92kg
1. Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) // 27 Points
2. Mohammadjavad Mohammadebrahim EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) // 22 Points
3. Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ) // 20 Points
4. Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY) // 18 Points
5. Azizbek SOLIEV (UZB) // 18 Points

97kg
1. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) // 36 Points
2. Mojtaba Mohammadshafie GOLEIJ (IRI) // 21 Points
3. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN) // 19 Points
4. Jaegang KIM (KOR) // 19 Points
5. Martin ERASMUS (RSA) // 18 Points

125kg
1. Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) // 35 Points
2. Davit MODZMANASHVILI (UZB) // 25 Points
3. Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (QAT) // 23 Points
4. Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI) // 21 Points
5. Khaled Omr Zaki Mohamed ABDALLA (EGY) // 19 Points
 

#WrestleTirana

Sadulaev shuts down Taylor in World Championships showdown

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 30) -- Two-time world champion at 92kg Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) would have expected his return to the World Championships to make all the noise in Tirana. After all, it had been two years since he last competed at the World Championships.

Enter Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) and David TAYLOR (USA). The former, who last won the world title in 2021, was not able to compete at the Paris Olympics and was injured during the semifinal of the 2023 World Championships.

Taylor, world champion in 2023, missed the Paris Olympics after losing the trials in the United States, announced his retirement and took a coaching job. He came out of retirement and decided to compete at the World Championships and retire.

Both are not 92kg wrestlers. Sadulaev has been a true 97kg for eight years now. Taylor is competing at this weight for the first time after dominating 86kg for years. But the two were pitted against each other in the opening round of the World Championships in Tirana at 92kg.

The small Feti Borova Sports Hall in Tirana did not have space to sit. So where one could, they stood to watch the two wrestle. Saudulaev in a singlet not meant for his 92kg body. Taylor, in his customary elbow on the thigh and waiting for his opponent.

No one knew what was going to happen. Sadulaev was reducing weight, and Taylor was gaining. How would the two match up? It was this lack that prompted the fans to cheer for both. But after the first period, the picture became much clearer. Sadulaev shut down Taylor's offense and came out of the pressure bout 7-0.

After the initial collar ties, Taylor went for the offense. He got on Sadulaev's leg and tried the lift but Sadulaev was swift to get out of the hold. Taylor continued his attack. That's the only way he knows wrestling. Taylor took another offensive shot and Sadulaev, with lessons from the previous attack, pressured forward to neutralize the attack and scored a go-behind for two. Sadulaev resorted to heavy snapdowns and Taylor wasn't able to defend the second one. Within two minutes, Sadulaev was up 4-0.

The speed and power was Sadulaev was impressively superior to that of Taylor who decided to change a little in the second period. He went for the far leg of Sadulaev. But Sadulaev was quick and spun behind Taylor and scored a takedown with less than two minutes left.

By this time, Ghasempour had finished his bout on the other mat. He defeated Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) 6-0 in a rather slow bout.

Sadulaev now had to defend his 5-0 lead. Taylor continued his aggressive approach and got on Sadulaev's right leg. What he did not expect was the quick counter from Sadulaev who pushed Taylor and scored an exposure for two. It was evident that Taylor could not match Sadulaev.

David TAYLOR (USA)David TAYLOR (USA) in the warm-up hall after his bout against Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) at 92kg in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

"I did not score on the two times I shot and he did," Taylor said after the bout. "That was the difference. I needed to score on those two occasions."

Taylor and Sadulaev went to the warm-up hall but the former sat for more than 45 minutes in silence. He finally broke his silence and talked to the United States coaches after his leg attacks. After spending 30 more minutes gathering his thoughts, Taylor packed his bags and left.

On the training mats, Ghasempour and Sadulaev jogged before cooling down after their bouts. If both continue to win, they are expected to meet in the semifinals.

The match will be rather important for Taylor as well. He will hope for a Sadulaev win which will give him the chance to wrestle for the bronze medal.

"I expect him to make the finals and come back tomorrow," Taylor said. "I need to wrestle better that is my focus for now."

If he does wrestle Thursday, fans will only be treated to another blockbuster. A Ghasemoour-Taylor bout. The only downside will be that one will go home empty-handed.