January 2026 Men's Freestyle International Rankings

57 KG

#12 Musa Mekhtikhanov (RUS) beat Artem Gobaev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia duel meet. Yamato Ogawa (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over Fuga Sasaki (JPN) with Kento Yumiya (JPN) and Rikuto Nagai (JPN) taking bronze. Yunus Yavbatirov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Shamsedin Babayev (RUS) with Kurban Salikhov (RUS) and Magomedkhan Amirchupanov (RUS) taking bronze. #3 Akhmed idrisov (RUS) beat #13 Reza Atri (IRI) in the finals of the Iranian Pro League.

61 KG

#2 Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS) and #7 Takara Suda (JPN) moved up to 65 KG where they are ranked ninth and eleventh respectively.

#1 Zavur Uguev (RUS) beat Azamat Tuskaev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia duel meet. #15 Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over Akito Mukaida (JPN) with Shosuke Takasugi (JPN) and Meiryu Akamine (JPN) taking bronze. Khabib Mekhtikhanov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Musa Alibulatov (RUS) with Magomedgadzhi Kochakaev (RUS) and Musa Payzulaev (RUS) taking bronze.

65 KG

#3 Shamil Mamedov has successfully completed his transfer from Russia to Bulgaria and will be competing for Bulgaria in the 2026 season. #8 Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) competed at PWL-Sakhalin and PWL- Dagestan vs. North Ossetia, where he was successful in both efforts beating #18 Joey McKenna (USA) and #15 Dzhambulat Kizinov (RUS) respectively.

#2 (61) Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS) is back in the 65 KG rankings at #9 after being drafted in the Indian Pro Wrestling League at 65 KG. Magomedov is primarily a 65 KG wrestler throughout the year but has a history of competing at a premier 61 KG tournament (such as the Kadyrov Cup) that justifies him being ranked at the weight. But his return to 65 KG for the Indian Pro Wrestling League along with a victory over Nick Lee (USA) from PWL-11 at 65 KG gets him his spot back.

#2 Kotaro Kiyooka (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over #7 (61) Takara Suda (JPN) with #10 Kaisei Tanabe (JPN) and Kaiji Ogino (JPN) taking bronze. #7 (61) Takara Suda (JPN) takes the #11 spot in the rankings for beating #10 Kaisei Tanabe (JPN) in the semifinals of the Emperor’s Cup and Tanabe falls two spots to #12.

Said Khunkerov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Ramazan Shamilov (RUS) with Magomedarif Magomedov (RUS) and Imam Umarov (RUS) taking bronze.

70 KG

#1 Taishi Narikuni (JPN) has been removed from the ranking as the Emperor’s Cup double champion in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling confirmed that he will be competing in Greco-Roman for the entirety of the 2026 wrestling season. Narikuni was able to win gold at the Emperor’s Cup over Yuma Tomiyama (JPN) with Taishin Honna (JPN) and Ariya Yoshida (JPN) taking bronze.

#2 Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (JPN) won the 74 KG Emperor’s Cup over reigning Senior World Champion #1 Kota Takahashi (JPN) to take the #2 spot in the 70 KG rankings behind #1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS).

#11 David Baev (RUS) avenged his 2025 Russian Nationals quarterfinal loss to #10 Abdurakhman Dalgatov (RUS) by 11-0 tech fall to move up nine spots in the rankings to #2 behind #1 Ernazar Akmtaliev (KGZ). The Dalgatov loss is primarily what held Baev back after he had an excellent start to 2025 that saw him win the Ivan Yarygin Memorial and European Championships before his loss to Dalgatov.

Muhammed Dadaev (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Adam Gadzhimagomedov (RUS) with Gadzhimagomed Gadzhiev (RUS) and #10 Abdurakhman Dalgatov (RUS) taking bronze. Muhammed Dadaev (RUS) debuts in the rankings at #15 for winning the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial where he beat #10 (now #16) Abdurakhman Dalgatov (RUS) to make the finals.

#14 Mohammad Bakshi (IRI) notched his second win over #7 Ebrahim Elahi (IRI) in the finals of the Iranian Pro League, but can not rise higher in the rankings due to Elahi having a superior resume (runner-up at the Kadyrov Cup with victories over #8 Magomed-Emi Eltemirov and #16 Abdurakhman Dalgatov).

74 KG

#2 (70) Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (JPN) upset #1 Kota Takahashi (JPN) to win the Emperor’s Cup in a battle of reigning 2025 Senior World Champions. Aoyagi takes the #2 spot behind #1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS), while Takahashi (JPN) drops two spots to #3. Bronze medalists at the Emperor’s Cup were Toki Ogawa (JPN) and Hikaru Takata (JPN).

#1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) beat #10 Magomed Dibirgadzhiev (RUS) at the North Ossetia vs. Dagestan duel meet. Khabib Zavurbekov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Ali Makhachev (RUS) with Agadzhi Magomedov (RUS) and Ramazan Muradov (RUS) taking bronze. #4 David Carr (USA) beat Belal Muhammad (USA) at RAF 04. 2024 Olympic Trials runner-up Jason Nolf (USA) beat Andy Varela (USA) at RAF 04.

79 KG

#19 Kasum Kasumov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Nadyrali Arsanaliev (RUS) with #17 Malamagomed Gamzatov (RUS) and Ramazan Gadzhibekov (RUS) taking bronze. #19 Kasum Kasumov (RUS) goes up two spots to #17 for his win over #17 Malagomed Gamzatov (RUS) at the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial, while Gamzatov falls one spot to #18 for his loss.

#13 Dean Hamiti Jr. (USA) pinned #9 Evan Wick (USA) at RAF 04 to climb up four spots up to #9; Wick falls one spot to #10. #6 (74) Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) beat #7 Akhmed Usmanov (RUS) in the North Ossetia vs. Dagestan duel meet. There were no competitors for the Emperor’s Cup at 79 KG.

86 KG

Parker Keckeisen (USA) notched the biggest upset of the month when he took out reigning Senior World Champion #1 Zahid Valencia (USA) 10-2 at RAF 04. For his efforts, Keckeisen debuts in the rankings at #7. Valencia does not fall in the rankings due to his dominant showing at the Senior World Championships with victories over #2 Hayato Ishiguro, #3 Arsenii Dzhioev, and #4 Kamran Ghasempour.

#6 Artur Naifonov (RUS) moved up one spot to #5 for avenging his 2025 Russian Nationals finals loss to #5 Ibragim Kadiev (RUS) in the North Ossetia vs. Dagestan duel meet. #15 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR) defeated Dustin Plott (USA) at RAF 04 and will have a title match against #16 Kyle Dake (USA) in a rematch from the 2020 Olympics won by Kadimagomedov.

Sosuke Takatani (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over Kodai Takahashi (JPN) with Natsura Okazawa (JPN) and Tatsuya Shirai (JPN) taking bronze. Majidgadzhi Aliyev (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Magomednabi Magomedov (RUS) with Magomed Yusupov (RUS) and Magomed Idrisov (RUS) taking bronze.

92 KG

#1 Trent Hidlay (USA) beat Jacob Cardenas (USA) at RAF 04. #2 Mohammad Azimi (IRI) beat #6 Amirhossein Firouzpour (IRI) in the finals of the Iranian Pro League. #5 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov (RUS) avenged his loss to #19 (86) Arslan Bagaev (RUS) from the 2023 86 KG Russian Nationals finals with a victory in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia duel meet.

Shakhban Surkhaev (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Magomed Gadzhimagomedov (RUS) with Muhammad Gamzatov (RUS) and Gamzat Gasanov (RUS) taking bronze. There were no competitors at the Emperor’s Cup at 92 kilograms.

97 KG

Four-time World/Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani (IRI) made a successful return to competition at the Iranian Pro League with victories over #13 Mojtaba Goleij (IRI) and #18 Abolfazl Babaloo (IRI). Upon his return, Yazdani slots at #4 behind 2024 Olympic bronze medalist and 2025 World silver medalist #3 Amirali Azarpira (IRI).

While Yazdani has a strong enough resume to be able to hold a top five spot, it would be unfair to disregard Azarpira’s exceptional body of work at 97 KG in the past year with two World/Olympic medals and an Islamic Solidarity Games title and victories over Olympic champions #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) and #8 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN).

#11 Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE) beat #5 Rizabek Aitmukhan (KAZ) at PWL-Sakhalin to avenge his loss from the Islamic Solidarity Games in November to move up five spots in the rankings to #6; Aitmukhan falls two spots to #7.

#1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) beat Soslan Dzhagaev (RUS) in their match at the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia duel meet. Yoel Romero (USA) made his return to wrestling after having not competed since the 2007 Grand Prix of Germany where he defected from Cuba and returned victorious with a 12-0 technical superiority win over Pat Downey (USA) at RAF 04.

#5 Arash Yoshida (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over Noah Leibowitz (JPN) with Toyoki Hamada (JPN) and Ryusei Takahashi (JPN) taking bronze. Zagid Karimov (RUS) won the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial over Omar Ziyautdinov (RUS) with Gadzhimurad Kadilov (RUS) and Murad Magomedov (RUS) taking bronze.

125 KG

#10 Wyatt Hendrickson (USA) avenged his 2023 World Team Trials loss to #8 Mason Parris (USA) to defend his Real American Freestyle heavyweight title at RAF 04. Hendrickson moves up one spot to #9 and Parris moves down one spot to #10, while #8 Abdulla Kurbanov (RUS) moves up one spot to #7 for his win over #9 Wyatt Hendrickson (USA) at the Senior World Championships in September.

#7 Abdulla Kurbanov (RUS) suffered a 3-1 loss to 2025 Junior European Champion Inal Gagloev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia duel meet but doesn’t drop in the rankings from it. Instead, Gagloev debuts in the rankings at #14 in the rankings for his win, headlining the best of the rest of the Russian wrestlers in the rankings.

#4 Giorgi Meshvildishvili (AZE) beat #6 Mohsen Siyar (GER) 6-2 while competing for ASV Mainz 88 in the German Bundesliga League. #4 Giorgi Meshvildishvili (AZE) will have increased domestic competition as it was announced that 6x World Champion #2 Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (AZE) has transferred from Iran to Azerbaijan to compete.

Taiki Yamamoto (JPN) won the Emperor’s Cup over Taira Sonoda (JPN) with Hosei Fujita (JPN) and Hibiki Ito (JPN) taking bronze. Gamzat Alizhudinov (RUS) takes the #17 spot in the rankings for beating #18 Bagautdin Zaynutdinov (RUS) in the finals of the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial. Bronze medalists at the Zagalav Abdulbekov Memorial were Magomed Magomedov (RUS) and Yunus Khamoev (RUS).

Pound for Pound

Four-time World/Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani (IRI) returns to the pound for pound rankings at #3 after a successful return to competition at 97 KG at the Iranian Pro League. 70 KG Senior World Champion #23 Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (JPN) was able come out on top of a battle of reigning World Champions against 74 KG Senior World Champion #2 Kota Takahashi (JPN) in the finals of the Emperor’s Cup to move up thirteen spots to #10 while Takahashi (JPN) falls nine spots to #11.

Takahashi’s greater fall was due to an error on my part regarding his initial placement as his best pound for pound wins were #19 David Carr (USA) and #20 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) and I had attributed Chermen Valiev’s injury default loss to him in the world finals as a win, which was incorrect due to injury nullifying the legitimacy of the result due to the uncompetitive nature of the match.

Three-time World/Olympic bronze medalist Artur Naifonov (RUS) is back in the rankings at #16 for avenging his 86 KG Russian National Finals match to #17 Ibragim Kadiev (RUS) in the North Ossetia vs. Dagestan duel meet. 86 KG Senior World Champion #5 Zahid Valencia (USA) drops seven spots in the rankings to #12 due to his upset loss to #7 (86) Parker Keckeisen (USA) at RAF 04.

The trio of #11 Amirali Azarpira (IRI), #12 Rizabek Aitmukhan (KAZ), and #13 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN) were removed from the rankings as #12 Rizabek Aitmukhan (KAZ) lost to #6 (97) Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE) at PWL-Sakhalin and the inclusion of Magomedov would then cause a subsequent logjam of the rankings of 97 KG rankings based off of athletes who had beaten Aitmukhan who had beaten Tazhudinov and it would quickly spiral out of control to overtake the rankings in a self-referential loop of 97 KG results.