December 2020 Men's Freestyle International Rankings

57 KG

#14 Georgi Vangelov (BUL) moved up to 61 KG where he will be Bulgaria’s individual world cup rep. #19 Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) moved up to 61 KG and failed to place at Kazakhstan nationals. Seeing as how both have been removed from the rankings, filling the spots left by them are Yarygin bronze medalist Ramiz Gamzatov (RUS) and 3x Russian nationals medalist Muslim Sadulaev at #19 and #20.  Taking gold at U-23 Russian nationals was Musa Mekhtikhanov (RUS) with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Mikhail Ivanov (RUS).

61 KG

2016 world bronze medalist Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) has been confirmed as Azerbaijan’s individual world cup representative and slots in the rankings at #11 behind 2019 world bronze medalist #10 Behnam Ehsanpour (IRI) who defeated him in the quarterfinals. Gvarzatilov is most well known for his three dominant wins over 2018 61 KG world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB) in the 2016 Baku GGP finals, the 2018 world cup, and the round of 16 of the 2019 world championships. #14 Ravinder Ravinder (IND)- last competition was 2nd place finish at the 61 KG U-23 world championships on October 28th, 2019, removed due to inactivity.#12 Ahmet Duman (TUR) removed as he is registered as the 65 KG representative for Turkey at the Individual world cup

#15 Arsen Harutyanyan (ARM) has moved down to 57 KG, was bronze this year at Euros.  #14 (57) Georgi Vangelov (BUL) is confirmed as Bulgaria’s representative at the individual world cup and is now ranked 14th. 2018 Intercontinental cup runner-up Eduard Grigorev (POL) returns to the rankings at #15. Grigorev was a 2018 University world champion and 2019 Yarygin bronze medalist while competing for Russia. 2019 world bronze medalist Rahul Aware (IND) returns to the rankings at #20. 

2019 57 KG Alans bronze medalist Alexander Sabanov (RUS) won the U-23 Russian national title with a 11-0 technical superiority victory over Ai-Belek Mongush (RUS).

65 KG

#18 Muslim Saidulaev (RUS) removed from the rankings due to a loss at U-23 nationals  to Gadzhimurad Omarov (RUS) in the round of 16, Omarov lost in the semifinals to runner-up Abdulmuzid Kudiev (RUS) 11-9  and then for bronze against Shamil Mamedov (RUS) 4-3. Winning U-23 nationals with a 14-4 technical fall victory over Abdulmuzid Kudiev (RUS) was Chayan Mongush (RUS). Mongush debuts in the rankings at #20 for his U-23 national title. 

70 KG

#20 Sayin Kazyryk (RUS) removed from the rankings with the addition of #15 Gitinomagomed Gadzhiev (AZE). Winning Russian U-23 nationals was Inalbek Sheriev (RUS) with a 13-2 win over Alexander Baltuev (RUS).

74 KG

#13 Isaiah Martinez (USA) was removed from the rankings due to inactivity, as his last competition was a title winning performance at the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational on November 15th, 2019. With his removal from the rankings, 2019 70 KG world runner-up Nurkhoza Kaipanov (KAZ) takes the #20 spot. Kaipanov competed this year in January at the Yarygin where he defeated 2019 Korkin champion Nadirbek Khizriev (RUS) on his way to a 9th place finish after losses to #1 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) and #8 Timur Bizhoev (RUS). Winning the 74 KG U-23 Russian national title was Khamzat Eldarov (RUS) with a 6-5 win over Magomed Evloev (RUS).

79 KG

#13 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) has been removed from the rankings as he will be competing at the individual world cup for Slovakia as their 74 kilogram representative. Salkazanov is a returning 79 KG world bronze medalist. Asian champion Arsalan Budazhapov (KGZ) is confirmed as the representative for Kyrgyzstan at the individual world cup and due to his past body of work that includes wins over the likes of #2 (74) Khetik Tsabolov (RUS), #8 (74) Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (RUS), and 4x world bronze medalist #17 (86) Ali Shabanov (BLR) he takes the number fourteen spot. The only recent he doesn’t debut higher here is because of his lack of head to head matches in the past year against the elite of the weight. 2019 Russian nationals bronze medalist #13 Khalid Yakhiev (RUS) won a U-23 Russian national title with a 13-2 technical superiority victory over 2019 70 KG Medved runner-up Magomedmurad Dadaev (RUS).

86 KG

European championships runner-up #12 Myles Amine (SMR) competed for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club at the inaugural RTC club and walked away with a 2-1 record at the event. The loss is more relevant here as he fell 4-3 to 2019 junior world bronze medalist Trent Hidlay (USA). For his loss, Amine falls two spots and the reason he can’t fall any further because of his wins in the calendar year over #16 Rasul Tikhaev (BLR) and #17 Ali Shabanov (BLR). Trent Hidlay (USA) does not debut in the rankings due to the fact that while his win over #12 Myles Amine (SMR) is impressive, it is his first ranked win of his career, and he doesn’t have the placement at senior level competition of Russian veterans  the likes of Khabib Gadzhiev, Zaur Makiev, or Soslan Ktsoev who occupy the #18, #19, and #20 spots respectively. Hidlay is a talent to watch but doesn’t quite have the resume yet to warrant a spot in the busy 86 KG rankings.

Khabib Gadzhiev is in the rankings at #18 for his win over 2019 Sargsyan Cup champion #19 Zaur Makiev at Russian Nationals, and Makiev is at #19 in the rankings for his win over Alans champion #20 Soslan Ktsoev (RUS) who boasts wins over #6 Vladislav Valiev (RUS) and #12 (92) Georgi Rubaev (MDA). Amanulla Rasulov (RUS) won U-23 Russian nationals over 2018 Alans bronze medalist Slavik Naniev (RUS) 10-4 in the finals.

92 KG

European champion #3 Suleyman Karadeniz (TUR) is confirmed as the 97 kilogram representative for Turkey at the individual world cup. Karadeniz is currently ranked ninth at his new weight of 97 kilograms. 2018 junior european champion Azamat Zakuev (RUS) debuts in the rankings at #16 for winning U-23 Russian nationals over Aslan Toparov (RUS) with a 10-0 tech fall. Zakuev has a 2017 win over #13 (97) Aslanbek Sotiev (RUS) at the Junior North Caucasian Federal District finals and a win over 2019 world bronze medalist #2 Alikhan Zhabrailov at the 2018 Intercontinental Cup where he finished 5th.

97 KG

#4 Sharif Sharifov (AZE) was removed due to inactivity, as his last competition was November 29th at the 2019 Alrosa Cup.  2019 Russian national runner-up #15 Igor Ovsyannikov (RUS) was removed from the rankings due to inactivity as his last competition was a title winning performance on October 10, 2019 at the Dmitri Korkin tournament. U-23 Russian nationals. Taking gold at U-23 Russian nationals was #19 Magomedkhan Magomedov (RUS) with a 10-5 win over Khokh Khugaev (RUS). There was some movement on the bottom half from U-23 Russian nationals was Magomedov beat Maxim Tolmachev (RUS) 10-0 in the semifinals after Tolmachev got a 10-0 tech fall win in the quarters over Senior Russian nationals bronze medalist #17 Aslanbek Gazzaev (RUS). Tolmachev went on to take bronze by beating David Dzugaev (RUS) 10-5. What all of this does is that it puts up Magomedov three spots in the rankings at #16, Tolmachev is able to debut in the rankings at #17, and #17 Aslanbek Gazzaev falls one spot to #18, and #18 Shamil Musaev who beat Magomedov at Russian nationals in October falls one spot to #19. 

125 KG

3x World/Olympic champion #2 Taha Akgul (TUR) has been removed from the rankings as his last competition was October 10th, 2019 where he won gold at World Military Games. Oleg Boltin (KAZ) takes the #12 spot in the rankings after winning Kazakhstan nationals with an 11-0 win over 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Daulet Shahbanbay (KAZ) and a 7-6 semifinal win over #9 Yusup Batirmurzaev (KAZ). #9 Yusup Batirmurzaev (KAZ) falls four spots in the rankings to #13 for his loss to Oleg Boltin in the Kazakhstan nationals semifinals. 3x Age group world champion Gable Steveson (USA) takes the #20 spot after beating 2x world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) at the RTC Cup 4-1. Taking gold at U-23 Russian nationals was Vakhit Galaev (RUS) with a 11-0 technical superiority win over 2018 Junior world champion Soslan Khinchagov (RUS).

Pound-for-Pound

57 KG Russian nationals runner-up Azamat Tuskaev (RUS) debuts in the pound for pound rankings at #23 for his exceptional year that saw him win titles at the Yarygin and the European championships where he beat 2019 world runner-up #4 (57) Suleyman Atli (TUR), #13 (57) Horst Lehr (GER), #14 (61) Georgi Vangelov (BUL), Alans champ #6 (57) Akhmed Idrisov (RUS), Russian national champions #19 (57) Ramiz Gamzatov (RUS) and Alexander Sabanov (RUS), and 61 KG Russian nationals bronze medalist #17 (57) Zhargal Damdinov (RUS).